Of Wishes and Waves:Disney's Mermaid, Gone Modern
by FictionAuthorInTraining
Summary: 2nd in Disney Gone Modern series.Based on LilMermaid.All characters represented.Rated M for safety.This is the little mermaid story told in a normal, modern setting.No mystical qualities.Lots of plot twists.Plenty of great entertainment.Enjoy and Comment.
1. Chapter 1

A/N-While on extreme writer's block for my modern version of Peter Pan, I decided to start working on the next Disney Classic modern version I was planning to do after finishing the Peter Pan one. I have always been fascinated with the Little Mermaid, so here is my modern version of that story. Every original character is represented, but some are not in their original forms. There is no mystical quality to the story and no "real" mermaids either. (notice the quotation marks)But I can promise a very inventive and entertaining version with lots of ingenuity and the same feel as the original... well, minus the rating. Oh! One other thing, in this universe the Disney film does not exist even though the story is being told in our own modern reality.

Of Wishes and Waves: A Modern Version of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

Chapter 1- 

Eric Davis cast his blue eyes onto his companion and long-time family friend Wilhelm Grimsby. "So my father sent you along to keep tabs, huh?" He sighed. "I was under the impression that you get sea-sick, Grim."

Wilhelm Grimsby eyed the youth with a mixture of admiration and contempt. He truly loved the young Davis boy, but the lad's complete disregard for showing respect to his elders irritated him immensely. "I do, Eric. But your father has charged me, as it were, with your safety while you're off on vacation."

Eric nodded, running a hand over his dog, Max's, fur. "In other words, you are here to make sure I behave like the well brought up guy I'm supposed to be." He moved away from the older man and turned to look out the port-hole of the Davis yacht. "I'm almost eighteen and he still treats me like a child. It's not like I'm stupid enough to get some girl pregnant the same hour I meet her!"

Grimsby winced. "Might I venture to say, young man, that your father never once considered his actions a mistake. James and Sarah were overjoyed at your existence."

Eric turned to look at the older man. "I don't want to talk about my mother, Grim."

Grimsby nodded. "I apologize. I know you miss her dearly."

Eric did not respond, instead he moved from the cabin he was staying in to the deck of the yacht, Max following at his heels. The ocean looked like sparkling glass as the sun hit the surface of the water. He loved the sea. In all the world, the ocean was the most important thing to him. He had learned to surf at ten, to scuba dive at sixteen, and to sail at seventeen.

After his mother's funeral, just a mere month ago, he had begged his father to loan him the _Water Goddess _so he could escape to the sea. James Davis had agreed, but on the condition that Grimsby accompany him for the duration of the trip. Eric had agreed readily since he liked the older man, but in the week since they had been aboard ship, the age differences had started taking their toll. Right now, the only thing Eric wanted to do was make port and get away from Grimsby for a little while.

"Eric, lad!" The helmsman's gruff voice echoed into the breeze, making Eric turn to look in the direction of the man.

"What's up, Aaron?" Eric inquired once he reached the slightly older man. Aaron was twenty and an exceptional sailor. He had been working on boats since he was kid and had literally jumped at the chance to work under Eric's father, the sole owner of one of the biggest privately-owned yacht-charter businesses in the states- Blue Pearls. A name which made no sense to Eric even today.

Aaron smiled, petting Max affectionately. "We get to the island in about an hour."

Eric nodded. "Tell again, why this place is so cool?" He sat down in one of the built-in chairs, watching Aaron steer the yacht expertly.

Aaron laughed. "Ah lad! This place is a gem. And a hidden one at that! They have grand hotels and beautiful beaches. And there's this one restaurant right off the main stretch that has got to be the best representation of living underwater that I've ever experienced! We'll be going there for lunch once we dock."

"So, you've been there before?" Eric asked.

Aaron turned the wheel a bit as he answered. "Every year since I was sixteen. My first girlfriend was a summer thing from that island. Her name was Brooke. She's the reason I keep going back year after year. We're just close friends now. She's been married off, has a little boy on the way last I heard."

Eric sat still, his mind a whirr as he caught the underlying meaning in Aaron's anecdote. "You think I'm gonna find my dream girl there, huh?"

Aaron shrugged. "I wouldn't discount the possibility. The girls are very pretty and, miracle of miracles, actually intelligent there. Plus nearly all of them love the sea and can sail. For a guy like yourself, Siren Island is perfect. Trust me."

"Weren't the sirens those Greek mermaids who lured sailors to their deaths by singing?" Eric stood up, moving to stand beside Aaron. Just then he noticed Grimsby emerge onto the deck. He looked green and seemed a little unsteady. "We have about thirty more minutes at sea, Grim."

Grimsby clutched the edge of the chair near him. "Thank God."

Aaron and Eric shared a chuckle at the older man's reverent response.

Many miles away, on Siren Island, Ariel Waters sat in the surf, her blue t-shirt and ragged jeans completely soaked through. She hummed a melancholy melody to herself as she watched the seagulls on the rocks nearby. Her attention was on one in particular, though. Her dear bird-friend Scuttle, named for the way he moved about the beach, was enchanted with her musical ability and she enjoyed showing off for him on a daily basis. 

When time permitted it, she was able to slink away from her other six sisters and take their rowboat out to the small, unnamed island directly across from her home on Siren Island. She had planned to do so today, but the sea had looked rather choppy and she'd decided not to chance the trip until the waters calmed some. Besides, she had work in about twenty minutes anyway.

Sighing, she stood up in the surf and made her way to the higher part of the beach, her bare feet sinking into the sand with each step. Her two-story beach house loomed before her over the small sand dunes that barricaded her technical back-yard from the beach. The breeze rushed by, pulling her red hair along as it went. She touched down on the grass of her real backyard and hurried over to the shower that was installed just to the left of the back doors. Quickly, she striped down to her bikini and stood under the torrents to get most of the sand off of her body. Satisfied, she entered her house, leaving wet footprints all across the hard-wood floors as she made her way to her bedroom at the very end of the hall. 

She shut her bedroom door a minute later and took a moment to look to her in-ground fish pond complete with exotic fishes. She sat down beside the rock-circle ledge that kept the water inside the hole in the floor. Her favorite fish, a bright yellow fellow with blue stripes and fins was dashing around the implanted false coral reef. She had named him Flounder when she found him doing just that on the hard-wood floor of her bedroom after jumping out of his mini-ocean. "In quite the hurry today, aren't we Flounder?" She cooed to the fish knowing full-well he would never answer. 

Getting up, she removed her swimsuit, snagged a fluffy towel from her freshly done laundry which had been dumped on her bed, by an annoyed older sister no doubt, probably Aquata. Naked, she walked into her adjacent bathroom and turned the shower on full force. She waited about two minutes for the temperature to get warmer, and then stepped inside and scrubbed herself down to get the rest of the sand off her person. She toyed with the idea of shampooing her hair, but opted not to because of the time constraint. She had to be at the restaurant in fifteen minutes or her father was going to be very mad.

Emerging from the shower, she wrapped the towel around herself and combed out her dripping wet hair. She crossed back into her bedroom and riffled through her top drawer for her work uniform. She found the sea-shell bra and ultra short-short shorts that she had to wear under the rest of her costume. She fitted the bra onto her upper body and slipped on another bikini bottom and the shorts. She yanked her pale blue sweatshirt off the hook on the back of the door, pulled it on, and slipped into a pair of black flip-flops. Fully dressed, she rushed out of the house, took a side road down the beach, and sprinted the remaining two hundred feet to the restaurant in record time. Slightly winded, Ariel stopped just inside the back door of her father's pride-and-joy. 

Triton's Palace was the premiere restaurant on Siren Island. It was the most unique thing ever built, and had the most interesting theme ever devised. The outside was white-washed stone that had been painted over with a pearlescent white to reflect the sun's rays and make the structure literally shine. The building was really one very large circular dining area in the center, flanked on one side by the immense kitchen and on the other by suite-sized restrooms and a theatrical stage complete with orchestra pit. 

The inside of the restaurant had been transformed into a nearly-real underwater paradise. The first thing a customer saw was the giant coral reef replica that served as the hostess's greeting area and a partition between the dining area and the waiting area. All over the restaurant, delicate glass bubbles of varying sizes were suspended from the ceiling at various heights to give the illusion of being water-dwelling creatures to the customers and staff. Every wall in the interior was painted a pearlescent light blue and sported a giant water tank filled with exotic fish and beautiful coral reef replicas. All the chairs were made to resemble clams or oysters while all the tables were simple glass topped circles with a tank of living fish swimming around underneath the diner's plate. All the dishes had been specially made for the restaurant as well. The plates and bowls all resembled open shells, while the cups were the typical glass kind and were multicolored. The floor of the dining area was painted to look exactly like the ocean floor, and had various fish and creature representations, as well as reefs, glued to it in certain spots to add to the effect. 

Ariel admired her father's vision and his ability to succeed with his goal of owning one of the most unique restaurants in the world. Perhaps the coolest part of his theme was the vast array of costume quality uniforms his employees sported. The waiters and waitresses were all dressed as some kind of fish, as minimally as possible to allow for the effect without injury or inconvenience. The busers portrayed all kinds of sharks; each shirt had a fin attached to the back and to the sleeves. And the entertainment staff, including her, was costumed as anything from sea-turtles to mer-people. The only employees allowed regular clothing were those working in the kitchen as cooks, dishwashers, and the like. 

Standing out in the middle of the dining floor, Ariel stared up at the beautiful theatre stage. Her father's personal seat, when he was in character, was a glittering gold-and-white coral throne that was raised at the very center of the stage, while there were seven other smaller and less sparkly versions of the throne elsewhere surrounding the big one. 

"Get dressed already, Ariel!" Arista shouted as she popped out of the kitchen. "We open in ten minutes, Girl."

Ariel nodded, hurrying to the dressing room in the stage wings. She found her other half of the costume, a beautifully made green mermaid tail that fit against her skin like extremely form-fitting jeans and had a small slit at the bottom for walking on her toes when necessary. When she sat, however, her feet fit into these little pockets inside the tail fins so that she gave the appearance of a real mermaid, if such a thing existed. She pulled off her sweatshirt and draped it over the hanger that had held her tail costume. Donning her red-haired and seriously full wig of very long hair, she moved out of the dressing room just as her other six sisters bustled inside to get dressed themselves. 

Her father was already seated on his throne, his own blue mer-person tail catching the stage lights. He held his version of Poseidon's trident in one hand. His smile was bright with anticipation. She approached him, moving practiced skill in her costume. "Hey, Daddy."

Triton Waters glanced at his youngest, and favorite, daughter with pride. "You're not singing today. We're going to use your recordings instead. I worried about that beautiful voice. The doctor said you were still capable of getting Laryngitis."

Ariel nodded, a bit disappointed. "Alright." She went to her respective throne, the one directly to her father's left, and sat down in the right position. She silently watched her sisters file out across the stage and take their seats as well. She did not smile until her favorite employee, the conductor of the orchestra, came out of the restroom.

Sebastian Carson was a little over thirty years old and had been a feature of the restaurant since its very beginning. He was a fantastic composer and wrote all the theme music that was played by the orchestra. Originally from the Caribbean, he had a distinct flavor unlike anything the island had ever seen and was an instant success in all his efforts. He was dressed in the most bizarre costume of all, a crab. 

Sebastian took the side-stairs to get to the stage and walked over to discuss the orchestral arrangements with Triton. He tipped an invisible hat at Ariel as he went, noticing how sad she seemed. 

A few feet beneath the floor, inside the orchestra pit, all the musicians were seating themselves and preparing their instruments and sheet music as they waited for their conductor to take his perch. Elsewhere, the rest of the staff came from the break room and took up their positions as well. The hostess, a young girl named Trisha, unlocked the front doors and took her post behind the coral reef replica where her podium was situated. Triton's Palace was officially open for the day's business when the line of people outside started filing inside.

At the far end of the longest line he had ever encountered to enter a restaurant, Eric stood beside Aaron and Grimsby. He could not stop staring at the building that housed his destination. The words _Triton's Palace_ were painted in wavy Calligraphic blue ink above the coral reef looking arch that over-hung the entrance. There was no telling what he was going to see once inside this place.

"Get ready to be transported to another world." Aaron grinned as he addressed both Eric and Grimsby.

Grimsby said nothing, only stared with wide-eyed wonder the huge line of people he was currently at the end of.

Eric nodded. "How long is the wait?"

Aaron shrugged. "There isn't going to be one. This place is huge, my friends, huge. Every single person in this line will get seated as soon as they meet the hostess."

Eric waited to see if that was indeed true.

When the familiar face of Aaron Forrester came into her view, Trisha Thomas grinned broadly. "Welcome back, Aaron!" She noticed he had company and addressed them too. "And Welcome to Siren Island to you gentlemen as well. It's about time Aaron brought others on his get-away voyage."

Eric smiled, but did not speak.

Grimsby, ever the adult, cleared his throat. "I should like to be seated soon, Miss."

Trisha's pretty features slipped into a frown for a millisecond then she nodded. "Of course, Sir. If you'll just follow Amanda, the Angel Fish, she'll see you to your table."

On cue, a twenty-something dressed to a minimalist fashion like an Angel fish, approached the little group. "Come this way please." She grabbed three menus from a bin and proceeded to lead them into the dining area.

"Holy shit." Eric whispered to himself when he saw the extent of the interior. This place was amazing!

"Told ya." Aaron responded triumphantly.

Amanda stopped at a table just a few feet from a large stage where six women dressed as mermaids were seated and one older man dressed as a merman. "Your table. Your waiter for today is Ryan. He'll be with you shortly."

All three of them watched Amanda leave. Aaron immediately began perusing the menu. But Eric and Grimsby were looking around in awe.

On the stage, the merman spoke with booming clarity. "Welcome, friends, to my feast. Join myself and my lovely daughters in a festival of music, frivolity, and food. I am King Triton, allow me now to introduce the most important women in my life."

Eric watched as each woman waved when the man said her name. His interest, however, rested solely on the woman to the man's left. She looked a lot younger than the others. He was certain she was no older than seventeen. He had missed her introduction though, because Ryan had come inquired about their drink orders. He was equally certain that she was wearing a wig over her real hair. 

Aaron noticed Eric's intense interest and caught his attention. "Already falling, are you sailor?"

Eric looked back to his friend. "I think one is my age."

"You won't meet her. The entertainment staff is not allowed to mingle with the customers." Aaron went back to the menu.

Perplexed, Eric raised a brow. "Why not?"

Aaron smiled. "Because Triton is insanely protective of his daughters."

Eric had no time to respond as Ryan came back to take their orders. After he left, though, Grimsby started asking questions too.

"The owner and creator of this restaurant is one of the men who plays the character of Triton. I'm not sure which one, though. But I do know that the ladies on the stage are the owner's real daughters. I also know that Triton is the owner's real birth-given name." Aaron looked around to the surprised expressions. "I called ahead and book one of the nicer beach houses for the next few days, by the way. I figured old Grimsby here would want to sleep on solid land."

Grimsby nodded his appreciation. "Thank you."

Everyone in the restaurant fell silent when a man dressed as a crab walked across the stage, bowed to the merman, and took up residence at the edge of a large hole in the floor. He clapped his hands, pulled out a conducting baton and turned to stare down into the hole. As he moved his arms, music erupted like a gushing volcano throughout the dining area. The man continued conducting for a long time and slowly the spell of his arrival faded as the diners returned to their conversations. 

Eric managed to tune out the rest of the spectacle while he ate his meal. But when a beautiful and soft soprano voice invaded his ears, he looked up at the stage. None of the mermaids were singing, though. That meant this was a track, pre-recorded and probably some famous vocalist's doctored performance. He closed his eyes and let the song envelope his very soul.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

Ursula Rancroft tapped her manicured nails against the manila folder on her lap. She stared down at the various pictures and handwritten notes taken by her personal surveillance team, her cold brown eyes looking black in the dim light of her office. She turned over one of the photos and studied the image.

The picture was a candid shot of Triton Waters' youngest, and most vulnerable, daughter Ariel. The girl was lounging out in the surf, alone. The building that took up the background of the shot was clearly the Water's home. She recognized the ramp and sand dunes that lead up to the grass covered backyard of the large house. Scrawled across the corner of the picture, in black ink, was a special note which she read aloud to herself. "She does the same thing day after day from 1pm to 2pm."

"Does she now, hmmm..." She smiled and went to the next photo. This one was a shot of the three oldest daughters out together at a movie. She flipped to the next one. Another shot of Ariel. In this shot, Ariel was again alone. The girl was by herself at the end of the pier, her attention on the water. "Well," she chuckled, "I'll say one thing for her. She'd make a brilliant model." She picked up a paper napkin stained with blue ink and read. "Local gossip is that youngest daughter is losing her voice. She did not sing at all today and it has been reported that Triton put her on leave from the show for the next few days."

The little girl was having voice troubles. The little girl was pretty much always alone. The little girl was her father's favorite daughter. What better way to avenge herself than using the daughter to take revenge upon the father? She grinned, shutting the folder and placing it on the beautifully crafted Cherry wood desk in front of her. Slowly, a plan was starting to form in her mind; a plan that she could not wait to set in motion. By next week, contract or no contract, Triton's Palace would be out of business for good and Ursula's Exotic Lounge would finally be a reality.

The phone rang just as she stood up. She snatched the receiver from the base and took a deep breath, donning a professional presence as she spoke. "Ursula Rancroft. To whom am I speaking?"

Marcus Jetsam's deep voice swam over the line as he reported his newest findings on the Waters family. Ursula listened quietly before finally interrupting him. "I want to see you two tonight for dinner. We will discuss everything then. Bring a fine wine. I will expect you both promptly at seven." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up.

On stage at Triton's Palace, Ariel sat perfectly still on her throne, her legs poised just so to give the illusion of a true fish tailed person. She could hear her father reciting his dialogue with her other sisters and tried to focus so that she wouldn't miss her cue. But that small task seemed nearly impossible as she continued to think about the teenage boy who'd been down in the front row earlier.

He had been sitting with two other men. One had looked all of twenty; the other had to have been at least fifty. What captivated her interest, however, had not been the mystery boy's attractive appearance, with his wind-swept black hair and good sailor's build, but the fact that he seemed catatonic over the song being played. This stranger had been absolutely out of it, and it was all because of her voice. She had never considered her singing as anything particularly special, but here was proof to counter her opinion. In spite of herself, she felt sad. Here was some boy completely smitten by nothing but a voice; a voice that she currently was not allowed to use.

"Daughter? Daughter? Young Lady, do you hear me?"

Ariel blinked as her father's agitated tone broke into her thoughts. She'd missed her cue after all. She turned her attention away from thought of the mystery boy and back to her job. Where in the routine were they, anyway? For some reason, she couldn't remember.

"DAUGHTER?" Triton's voice boomed out into the air like an explosion. Not only had Ariel completely missed her cue, but she seemed totally zoned out.

Hearing the fury in her father's voice, she instantly remembered her lines, add-libbing a bit to cover her obvious screw up. "Forgive me, Father. I lost myself watching the dolphins at play. Gavin and I were conversing yesterday. It seems he has fallen for Akia."

Easily falling back into the flow of the skit, Triton delivered his response with a much softer tone. "Merry, Sweet Child, you'd forget the tides in favor of a dolphin any hour. Gavin seems to be missing from the festivities."

Ariel nodded, her lines were rolling off her tongue now. "He informed me he'd be arriving late. Though he did not mention as to why."

Triton tapped his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. " Akia and Gavin..."

Over on stage right, nineteen-year-old Adella took the audience's attention away from her younger sister as she delivered her own set of lines. "Akia is hardly old enough to marry, Father. You must speak to Gavin about his intentions. Surely they could wait another few circle-tides?"

Arista shook her head as she pretended to be annoyed. She expertly tossed her lines out with an air of disinterest. "Hush now the both of you! Akia is nearing sixteen. Our mother was seventeen when the oldest of us was born. Gavin will make a choice marital partner. He's very agreeable and gentlemanly as well."

Triton held up his hand and all the girls went silent. "This is not a matter for public interest, Daughters. We have guests now. Personal conversation is not meant for strangers' ears."

Ariel let out her breath as the heavy blue, velvet stage-curtain came down in front of her. Her shift was over for the day. Slowly, she shifted to a normal sitting position and stretched her legs out. The bad thing about these mer-tails was that they sometimes made it impossible to stand up normally after sitting for so long.

"That was a good cover." Triton addressed his youngest from his seat. He smiled. "I take it there was a boy who caught your interest out in the audience."

Ariel shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "I just sort of blanked out, I guess. I'm sorry, Daddy."

Arista, Adella, Atina, and Aquata all stood up and walked backstage leaving Ariel, Adrina, Alana and their father still sitting on their respective thrones.

Adrina carefully got to her feet. "Jeff wants to go out tonight, Pop. We'll be back around midnight." She used the throne's armrest for leverage as she waited for the feeling to return to her legs. "Oh, and Ariel. Aquata said to tell you that you can't just leave your laundry in the dryer like that."

Ariel yawned in mock boredom. "I just forgot, that's all. She didn't have to dump it on my bed like that either."

Adrina chuckled. "True." She exited the stage rather quickly in spite of the mermaid tail wrapped around her legs.

Triton glanced over to Ariel. "You're starting to sound a little hoarse."

Ariel stared at him, surprised. "I hadn't noticed. Guess you want me to keep quiet for the day, huh? Voice rest and all that?"

He stood up, walking over to her. "Sweetheart, I know you hate not singing live and letting your understudy take over, but you need to take care of yourself first." He placed a hand on her bare shoulder, looking down into her misted-over blue eyes. "Ariel, your health is the most important thing to me, not your fan following."

She nodded. "You're gonna tell me to take a few days off aren't you?"

He nodded back, patting her shoulder. "At least four. Maybe you can get to know the guy who nabbed your attention during the performance today, hmmm?"

"Not if I can't talk to him." She sighed.

Triton smiled. "Interacting with others isn't completely audio oriented, Honey. I'll see you at home no later than ten-forty-five, okay. It seems the rest of my pearls have plans. Looks like it's just gonna be you and me at dinner and movie night."

"Sounds fun. I like you better, anyhow." Standing up, she kissed his cheek. "See you later, Daddy."

"Don't forget to call Whitney and let her know she needs to come in tomorrow." He called after her.

Nodding, Ariel retreated into the women's dressing room. Only Adella was still there and she was on her cell in a corner talking low. She ignored her older sister, sliding the mermaid tail off her legs and hanging it back on the designated hanger. She shrugged into her blue sweatshirt and slipped her feet back into her flip-flops. Carefully, she set the red-haired wig back on its Styrofoam head. Ready to head out, she glanced back to her sister. "Everything ok?"

Adella absently twirled her blond curls around her fingers as she listened to the voicemail again. She didn't even register that Ariel was in the room until the younger girl snapped her fingers in her face. She blinked, nearly dropping her cell phone. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, but you seemed seriously far gone." Ariel titled her head, some of her red hair falling into her face. "So I ask again, is everything ok?"

Adella nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Emily just left me an update on Wolf."

Ariel's expression softened. "He's not doing good, is he?"

Adella shook her head. "Em thinks Frank should put him down. I have to tell Frank tonight. But he loves that mutt so much..."

Ariel pulled her older sister into a warm hug. "Shh... Ems a vet, Della. If there's any way to save Wolf, she'd know it. But if her recommendation is to put him down, then he must be beyond help. Frank will understand that."

"I know you're right, A. I just hate to see how broken Frank's gonna become over the loss..." Adella stepped back from the hug, eyeing her sister. "By the way, you sound awful. Your voice has this edge to it. It's like horror movie ghoulish or something. You should stop talking for the rest of the day."

"Dad said that too...well, in a nicer way." Ariel smiled. "He also sent me home for the next four work days."

"Lucky You." Adella laughed. "I see a lot of sun and surf in your immediate future, little sister." She ruffled the girl's hair affectionately. "And maybe you'll meet a guy too."

Ariel shook her head, laughing too. "Does every single person in this family think I need a boyfriend?"

Adella nodded. "Now get gone before all the beach-bunnies snag the hotties." She literally pushed her younger sister out the door. "Go. Shoo. But try not to talk a lot."

Ariel huffed in response as she crossed the backstage area to get to the back exit door on the other side. How exactly was she supposed to make a decent connection with a guy if she wasn't allowed to talk?

Eric leaned against the windowsill with his arms crossed. The window was open to let in the wind and the scent of the ocean. He breathed deep as he watched the horizon. Aaron had booked a large beach home off the beaten path. Just to get to this place had required them to drive for an hour through both a forest-like area and a large subdivision with a gate, no less. But when he saw the view from the back of the house, he'd decided everything was worth it.

The immense two-story house had a grand balcony that overlooked a nicely landscaped out-door lounge and a good sized backyard covered with bright green grass. At the back of the property there was a wooden ramp that led out to the beach beyond. From the window, he could see that this particular strip of the beach was littered with boulders and rock outcroppings. Off to the side there was even something like a giant rock wall that hid the rest of the beach from view.

He looked down when he felt something bump against his leg. Max was standing by his side, his blue leash dangling from his mouth. He smiled and patted the dog on the head, taking the leash and clipping it to the matching collar. "Wanna go for a walk, huh, Max?" The animal barked loudly in response, his tail wagging with joy at the concept.

Eric made his way downstairs and out the back door, dog in tow. They crossed the grass and walked down the ramp, Max's paws padding over the weathered wood.

Aaron met them half-way, a beautiful brunette woman on his arm. He smiled. "Eric this is Brooke."

Brooke nodded and extended her hand. "It's wonderful to meet one of Aaron's friends. I was starting to wonder if he actually had any. Or if he was just ashamed of me."

Eric shook her hand. "He has at least one. And I don't think any guy could ever be ashamed of you."

Aaron draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Brooke will be joining us for dinner tonight. Do you think Grimsby will mind?"

Eric shrugged. "Grim minds everything. But seeing as how she is a friend, he will keep his opinions to himself. I want to walk a bit, so I may be late."

Aaron nodded. "We are taking a powerboat out later so be back soon. I can't wait to show you two the rest of the island."

Eric nodded, moving so that Aaron and Brooke could pass. "Okay."

"Oh," Brooke turned back. "There's no leash law on the private beaches. You can unhook your dog if you like."

"Thanks." Eric smiled at her. "I think Grim is napping so be quiet in there."

Aaron nodded and led Brooke away while Eric continued over the ramp and stepped out onto the beach. Max began pulling at his leash so he just unhooked him. "Don't go far." Ever obedient to its master, the dog walked just as slowly as he did.

As he trudged, his mind drifted back to his experience at Triton's Palace. He couldn't get that voice out of his head. Softly, and absently, he began to hum the tune to himself as he conjured an image of the one mermaid that had caught and kept his attention. He could see her clearly, her long red-haired wig and pretty smile offset by that grand-looking, and no doubt extremely expensive, mermaid tail costume. Then there was that sea-shell bra. And her soft tan. He could easily imagine what her legs looked like underneath that tail. They were probably very well defined and long. She probably tended to wear shorts too. The more he thought about the mystery mermaid, the more he wanted to meet her. But Aaron had said that the mermaids were the restaurant owner's daughters and that they were not allowed to mingle with the customers. As interested in the girl as he was, he couldn't deny how much he wanted to meet the owner of the voice that had captivated him so.

Looking up, he spotted one star in the dark blue velvet of the night sky. Thinking back to his childhood, he stopped. "I wish I could meet the girl who sang that song today. I'd love to hear her voice again." As he turned his attention to Max, all thoughts of the teenage mermaid left his mind.

Off in the distance, Ariel stood in the shadow of a massive sand dune and watched as the same boy who had thrown her thoughts into a whirlwind earlier played with a gray and white, long-haired dog. It kinda looked like a sheep dog actually. She sat down on the sand, the wind gently pulling at her light blue sweatshirt as the unzipped halves swung backward away from her body. She wasn't sure, but from here it sounded like he was humming her song. The wind made it hard to be certain.

She watched him for a long time, her focus on making a perfect memory of his person. She took note of his clothing choice with a soft smile. He was wearing a dark blue, long sleeved, surfer's shirt and typical, worn-in jeans. Apparently he was no stranger to the water.

Just then, the dog seemed to stop. It turned her way and sniffed the air, then took off running. She sat there frozen. What now? The dog made it to her, licking her hand affectionately. She smiled, petting the animal. "Hey there."

"Max! Come back, boy!" The boy's voice carried over the wind and dog immediately took off again. She watched as it ran back to him and he ruffled its fur.

She really wanted to talk to him. Something innate told her they would hit it off for sure. And when it came to guys, certainty and self-confidence were two things Ariel never seemed to have at the same time. She stood up and brushed the back of her shorts off, then took a moment to zip up her sweatshirt. Even if it was a beach, she didn't relish the idea of saying hello to a boy she'd never met while wearing nothing but extremely short-shorts and a decorated bra.

"Eric! We're ready for dinner, here!"

She looked up at the sound of another guy's voice. She couldn't see who it was from where she stood. But she could see the boy and his dog start to head off the beach, back toward the house behind them. So mystery boy had a name. Eric. She smiled and softly began to hum as she too walked home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

The following morning, the Waters household was in a stir as her other six sisters watched Ariel closely. Something had changed in her since the night before. But since she wasn't really allowed to talk, none of them could discern exactly what that change was and why it had occurred.

Arista and Adella sat on the sea-green sofa watching some decorating show while Adrina and Aquata read the paper and Atina curled up in the recliner with a book. Just ten feet away, Alana and the patriarch of the family were busy cooking.

"She's different is all." Alana stated as she added bread crumbs to the mixing bowl on the counter.

"Who is?" Atina piped up from her spot in the adjacent den.

"My guess is she met someone." Adella supplied from the sofa.

The conversation died when the subject of the gossip actually ventured into the room. Ariel walked over her father and sister in the kitchen and surveyed the work to be done. "Need help?"

All six sisters stared in her direction, shock etched on their pretty faces. Their baby sister never offered to help any of them with anything domestic.

Triton looked up from the celery he was chopping. "Morning. I thought I told you not to use your voice."

"Sorry." Ariel answered. "I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about taking the rowboat out later. You all will be at the restaurant when I leave, but you may get back before me and I didn't want you to freak out."

"Very thoughtful. Now stop talking." Triton smiled at her to indicate he wasn't nearly as angry as his tone made it seem.

Ariel retreated to her bedroom, sitting down on the stone ledge that encased her mini fish pond. She smiled when Flounder swam up to the surface to greet her. "I think I'm falling for him."

The fish did not reply except to swim closer to the edge. She laughed and moved away from the pond. Maybe she could kill time with some music. She crossed the room to her laptop and clicked open the Media Center section, then scrolled for the playlist she wanted and clicked Play. Instantly, an assortment of Reggae and other Caribbean styled tunes, courtesy of Sebastian, blared from the little built-in speakers.

She laid stomach down onto the bed and tucked a pillow into her arms to rest her chin against. Closing her eyes, she sank into the feel of the music and tried to let the world fall away. Instead, she found her mind conjuring an image of Eric. If the guy was popping into her mind even at the most unbidden of times, she could not deny it anymore; she had a thing for him. The question was, did he have a thing for her or could he? Thinking about that, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

It was hours before she woke up again. By then, the playlist had run out, the room as silent as she was supposed to be. She sat up, putting the pillow back at the head of her bed, and stretched. The digital display clock on her night stand said four-thirty. If she was taking the rowboat out today, she had better get gone before it got to dark to be on the water.

She snatched her watch off the dresser, securing it around her wrist, and then riffled through her closet for the right kind of attire. It would be cold out on the water so she opted for a pair of green ankle-length cargos that fit loosely and a purple bikini top with a flimsy, but warm, gray sweatshirt over it. She slipped her feet into sneakers the same green as her pants and headed out of the house.

It was five-forty before she got to the boathouse across town and put the rowboat into the water. She knew these waters by heart and had mapped out the quickest route from the marina to the place where Eric was staying. Sure, it might not be the best way to say hello but it would get his attention at least. She sat down and started rowing with practiced ease. If her calculations were anywhere near correct, she would get to the side of the island with his beach house in as little as thirty minutes.

Eric sat on the little cushion at the edge of the boat as Aaron and Grimsby talked. Max was lying at his heels, his attention on a bug that was crossing the floor of the boat. He'd really enjoyed the tour so far, but Grimsby's continuous questions about the architecture of the island were starting to get on his nerves. Aaron didn't seem to mind though, so it was alright for now.

"Brooke invited the three of us to her place for dinner tonight. She has a pier on her property so we'll be getting there by boat. This one actually." Aaron said as he handled the wheel.

Grimsby nodded from his seat just to the right of the wheel. "She's a lovely lady. Will her husband be joining us?"

"Not sure." Aaron answered, expertly turning the boat.

Eric tuned them out and watched the water. He knew enough about the ocean to recognize the signs of storm weather. The sky was getting darker and cloudy. "How far is to her house?" He asked Aaron.

"About forty minutes or so." Aaron said. "What's on your mind, sailor?"

"The sky doesn't look to good." Eric sat up. "Does this island get storms a lot?"

"Well, it gets hurricanes every now and then just like any other land mass connected to water." Aaron stated just as a crack of lightning sizzled through the sky.

"Oh shit!" Eric was on his feet. "Can you go any faster here?"

"Not much. Put up the canvas for me so the rain doesn't block my ability to steer." Aaron instructed as he turned the boat a little to the left to avoid a floating piece of driftwood.

Eric went to work setting up the canvas while Grimsby moved down into the living area of the boat to avoid the storm. By the time the canvas was mostly in place, the sky was lit up with lightning and the rain was pelting the fabric covering. He ducked back under the cover and opened the cabin door. "Max. In." The dog obeyed quickly, but turned back to watch as its master shut the door. He then turned his attention back to Aaron. "What else can I do?"

"Not much. We're gonna have to stop moving for a while. This storm isn't going to be pretty and I can't see now as it is." Aaron sighed.

The storm was getting very bad very fast. The water was pretty choppy now, even coming up to the edge of the boat. The two boys moved back to the seats on the opposite sides of the cabin door and sat down. The wind picked up and the rain struck the water with an angry flourish.

Ariel stopped rowing just as another boat came into view a few yards away. It was much bigger and looked like a live-in one from the nicer end of the island. She ducked her head as a massive wave struck her left side, water falling hard into the little rowboat. She looked up and tried to judge if the other boat was in trouble, like herself, or could easily ride out the storm.

Back on their rented boat, Eric and Aaron sat huddled away from the bitter wind and rain. The water seemed like it had tripled in height in the last ten minutes and it showed no signs of decreasing any time soon. There was a crashing sound from the cabin and the door flung open, Max barreling out onto the deck. Forgetting everything else, Eric jumped up and ran after the dog just as the boat slammed into a bunch of rocks. Water poured over the edge, knocking him off his feet as the boat tilted under the blow.

"Eric!" Aaron shot out of his seat and fought the water-slick deck to get to his friend. He grabbed the boy's hand just as another wave rose up and knocked into the boat. There was a huge jarring motion as the boat broke away from the rocks and the other boy's hand slipped from his as he struggled to find footing. "Eric!"

Ariel sat bolt upright in her tiny boat when she heard the named screamed against the storm. Eric. She looked in the direction of the other boat and gasped. It was on its side for the moment with one of the guys hanging off the edge. He was getting beaten by the waves something fierce and she doubted he could hold on much longer. The other guy was trying to make it the edge so he could help his friend back into the boat. But which boy was which? From here, she couldn't tell.

While her attention was elsewhere, a strong wave knocked into her small rowboat, propelling it toward what looked like a bank of rocks. She was catapulted into the choppy water just as the boat splintered into a bunch of little pieces. Coughing, she surfaced just as another wave, about three times larger than the one that had hit her, took its rage out on the other boat. She watched in horror as the boat slammed against the rocks again and again before breaking free and being pulled out into the open water. The boy hanging off the side was nowhere to be seen, but the one who'd managed to stay on the deck was clinging to the ripped apart canvas covering, his eyes on the water.

"ERIC!" Aaron's terrified shout barely registered in the tumult of the storm, but he kept screaming just the same. "ERIC! Where are you!"

In the water, Ariel started swimming hard against the storm. She couldn't see the other boy anywhere and the boat was too far away to help. The storm was forcing it further and further out. She was barely twenty feet closer when a piece of her rowboat dug into her shoulder, her sweatshirt snagging on the splintered edge. She struggled to get free, then maneuvered out of the sweatshirt altogether. She had other things to do that were more important than wrestling with a piece of wood.

It took her another ten minutes to reach the area where the boat had sustained all that damage. Frantic, she swam around looking for the boy. Forgetting her father's demand, she raised her voice against the pounding rain. "Eric! Eric!"

She spotted him a good five yards away, being carried on the waves. He looked like a ragdoll amidst the rage of the sea. "Hang on..." She pleaded with him as she swam over as quickly as she could manage. When she got to his side, she could tell he was pretty near unconscious. "Eric...hey, stay with me okay."

Anchoring her arm around his chest, she used the other one to swim against the crashing waves. If he was unconscious then getting tired before she reached the shore was not an option. She had no idea where they would end up, but she was determined to get him to land as fast as she could swim there.

It seemed like hours before the storm died down, but by then she could barely hold onto him, let alone keep her own head above the water. She could see a strip of beach in the distance, but there were no houses. This had to the unnamed island that was across from Siren Island. At least it was land. With a renewed spirit, she started her one-armed free-style again making good time considering how spent she felt.

Once she reached the part of the surf where she could wade out of the water, he became that much heavier to carry. She dragged him out of deeper water and laid him on his back on the sand. The water crept up to his feet then receded. Collapsing on her side, she drew in ragged breaths.

It took her several minutes before she could compose herself enough to check on him. She leaned over his body, resting her head over his chest to check for a heartbeat. Then, she prepped him for CPR and administered it without hesitation. She kept at it till he sputtered to life, coughing up sea water by the lung-full.

Eric lay on his side, retching water onto the sand. His vision wasn't to clear, but he could make out the silhouette of a female lying beside him. After a few minutes, he dropped back to the sand.

"You're alive." Ariel smiled, holding his wet hand in relief. "Rest now. We both need to conserve our strength."

Eric was too out-of-it to really register the speaking voice he was hearing, but it did seem familiar to him. He started to say something, but stopped when a beautiful melody reached his ears. His rescuer was singing to him in effort to make him relax. He listened intently as the song carried him into state of pleasant mental euphoria. This was one dream he never wanted to wake up from. She was right here, singing just for him. But who was she? As he drifted off again, he vowed to find out.

Ariel continued to sing to Eric even though she could feel her throat burning with each note. After all that yelling during the storm and now singing to calm him down, if she didn't lose her voice it was going to be a miracle.

The dark of the night sky lit up with stars as she sang for him long into the night. It wasn't raining anymore, but her cheeks were wet just the same. The effort to keep her voice going was torture on her vocal cords and it had tears rolling down her face. When she did stop, she was bordering on a state of hypothermia and intense pain. Shivering, she laid against him for warmth and passed into unconsciousness herself.

It was early morning before the island patrol found them, still very much unconscious, on the unnamed island and brought them onto the boat.

"Miss Waters..." The man knelt by the unconscious girl, lighting patting her face. "Can you hear me?"

Ariel woke suddenly, her blue eyes blinking open. She tried to answer, but found her voice was completely gone and her throat was both raw and painful. She gestured toward Eric, who lay on the deck beside her still very much asleep.

The man nodded. "He's doing just fine. You saved his life, ya know. And here I thought that whole mermaid thing was a hoax." He smiled at her. "I'm dropping you off on your stretch of beach. I already phoned your father."

She nodded, sitting up slowly.

"You've lost your voice, haven't you? His name is Eric Davis. His buddy Aaron was picked up a few hours ago. He gave us a description and told us where to drop him off." He went back to the wheel of the boat.

Ariel turned her attention to Eric. She watched him sleep, thinking how peaceful he seemed to be considering everything he'd been through the night before. Would he even remember anything when he woke up? Remember her?

When the boat edged up to her stretch of beach, she did not attempt to argue with the patrolman. She knew she was leaving Eric in very capable hands. Kissing his cheek, she stood up and exited the boat of slightly shaky legs. Her father was standing in the surf ready to catch her, which he did.

"I have never been more scared in my life." Triton hugged his daughter close. "You are unbelievably lucky. I'm guessing the rowboat didn't make it. But you did." He hugged her tighter. "You did."

Ariel could do nothing but hug him back and nod.

"Your voice is gone, isn't it?" He patted her back as they walked out of the surf and back up to the house. "I want you to take a hot bath and then get some sleep. No arguments. You need both. And I'll make you some honey-tea before I leave."

Ariel smiled, thinking to herself just how lucky she was not only to be alive, but to have been strong enough, both mentally and physically, to save the life of another. That was her father's doings. All her life, he'd taught her to be self-sufficient and strong-willed as well as just plain strong in physical sense. Last night, those lessons had paid off.

Eric woke up in the bed of the room he'd chosen at the rented beach house. The sun was bright outside, which meant it was afternoon. He sat up, putting a hand to his head to steady himself. He'd had the best dream. It had everything, mystery, action, romance. He smiled. And it had that singer.

In the dream, he'd woken up on a beach under a blanket of bright stars. There had been a girl with him, partially dressed from waist up. He'd been too hazy to see her clearly, but she'd had red hair and white skin. And she'd sung to him. She'd sung a long, long time but her beautiful voice had never wavered. That's how he knew it had to have been a dream.

"You're up." Grimsby walked into the bedroom. "Thank God, young man. Your father's been worried sick."

Eric looked up, a little confused. "He's here?"

"Oh no, no. But I called him." Grimsby stepped closer and handed the cordless phone over to the boy.

"Oh." Eric took the receiver, bringing it to his ear. "Dad, I'm alright. Nothing's broken. I feel a little heady, but that's most likely because I've been asleep a long time." He listened half-heartedly to his father's out-pouring of affections and then said goodbye and hung up. He handed the phone back to Grimsby. "So what really happened?"

Aaron popped his head into the room. "We got in a hurricane. You got pitched overboard. Some girl whose boat had been smashed to pieces was in the water too. She rescued you. They said she must have swum at least an hour to get to that island. The island patrol found you two unconscious on the beach this morning."

Eric nodded. "Then it wasn't a dream..."

Grimsby shook his head. "No, young man. It was not a dream."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Let's play a little game. In all the remaining chapters to the story I will have one or two quotes completely or partially "borrowed" from the film. When you give me a review, add your answer to which quote you think I used and which character said it. I'm curious to see just how big a fan you all are. Now, to business. From here on in the rating has merit. Just warning you. Enjoy.

Chapter 4-

Sighing, Grimsby studied his young charge over the rim of his reading glasses. "I don't suppose I can make you stay, can I?" He tapped the bulk of the periodical in his hand against his thigh.

Eric shook his head, pulling on his sneakers. "You've had me under house-arrest for two days now, Grim. I'm fine, seriously. I just want to get back to my vacation."

Grimsby nodded. "Alright. Just stay out of the water if it gets stormy again. Please. I've had enough sadistic strains on my blood pressure for the week as it is."

"Fair enough. I'm just gonna walk around town for a bit." To himself, Eric added – _and see if I can find that girl._

Truth be told, that mystery girl was the only thing that had been on his mind for the last two days. He knew she was real. He knew she was a red head. Unfortunately, that was pretty much all he knew. He had no idea where she lived, what her age was, or where on this island he'd find her. But find her he would; he had too. If only he had been awake when the patrol had carted them home. Wait... That patrol! They'd know!

Almost giddy, Eric bounded across the paved road that led out of the subdivision and onto the main highway. He'd reach the main stretch of town and ask the patrolmen all about the rescue and the girl.

Yawning, Ariel shifted against the cushions on the sofa. To say she was bored was putting it mildly. She couldn't speak and hadn't been permitted to leave the house for the last two days. She'd been living on a barely sustainable mix of bad Lifetime movies, horrible soap operas, and the Discovery Channel. She was going stir-crazy! Today, she had to get out and do something, anything.

She sat up and shrugged out of the ultra-fluffy, green blanket that she'd wrapped around her person earlier that morning. She needed a shower first thing though. Getting to her feet, she shut off the television and headed back toward her bathroom.

As she showered, her thoughts drifted to work. She hoped Whitney was doing a good job being her. God, she really missed being up on the stage with her family. She missed the restaurant too, but mostly she missed Sebastian conducting the orchestra while she sang.

Fifteen minutes later, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror surveying her appearance. The strapless, white sundress that came to her knees really set off her natural tan, and she looked healthy again. Her slightly unruly, red hair rested over her shoulders and was still partially wet so that it would keep her cool against the heat of the afternoon. Under the sundress she slipped on a pair of white short-shorts just in case she decided to get active later. She might be okay with sitting in a fish tail and bra while in character, but the idea of someone seeing her underwear by accident made her self-conscious. Not that she was prudish or anything, just umm... moralistic. Was that the right term?

She stepped out of the bathroom and snagged a pair of heeled, sandals from the closet. Her watch had been ruined the night of the hurricane, so taking it was useless and her cell phone served no purpose because she had no voice to communicate with during a call, so she left that behind as well. Money, on the other hand, was probably a good idea. She extracted a couple of twenties from her wallet and stuffed them into the side pocket of her dress. A moment later, she was locking up the house and headed out the door.

Once she reached the beach, she walked parallel to the water letting her bare feet sink low into the cold sand as the surf rushed against her legs. The beach was absolutely deserted today which was odd, but not uncommon. There was probably a big to-do in town somewhere, she thought. As she trudged, her mind rolled over the night of the storm and she wondered if Eric was alright just like she did every time she thought about him since that night.

Had she been paying better attention, she might have noticed the two men walking slowly behind her.

Marcus Jetsam watched the young girl walk, his eyes glued to the way she absently swung her hips with each step. For being so young, this girl had plenty of sex appeal, even to a man his age. Granted twenty-seven wasn't exactly old, but it was way too old to be interested in a teenage girl. He'd have to work damn hard not to get inappropriate with her once she was in his care.

Beside Marcus, Vince Flotsam also had his eyes on the young girl. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her and carve into that perfectly tanned skin. He imagined how rich her blood would run when his knife pierced her flesh and a smile played on his lips. Triton's most valuable gem was going to be immensely knocked down in market value by the end of the night.

Unable to relax, Ursula walked back and forth across her lush beige carpet. Flotsam and Jetsam had the plan in full motion this very minute. They were following the girl now and would capture her within the next four hours. After all these years she would finally have her revenge. Tonight.

At the police office in town, Eric waited anxiously for someone to take a moment and speak to him. He'd been sitting there for a while, just thinking about that night and that girl.

A thirty-something man stepped out of one of the small boxed-in offices and headed over to the boy in the waiting area. "I know you. Good to see you're up and about."

Eric looked up. "Thanks. Were you the patrolman who found me?"

"Name's Watson. Yeah, I came across you and your little mermaid passed out on that island across the way." The man smiled at his jest.

"Little mermaid?" Raising his eyebrows, Eric got to his feet. "What exactly are you talking about, Watson? I'm confused."

Watson chuckled. "Aye. Your rescuer, kid. The little mermaid of Siren Island. Little on account of her being the youngest of Triton's brood."

Eric nodded, beginning to understand. "So you call her a mermaid because of her job, then? Will I find her at the restaurant? I'd like to thank her for what she did."

Watson grinned. "Oh, I bet you would. But you'll have to look elsewhere. She has been nixed from the show for the next few days. I'd send you to her place, but since I don't know you that would get me in trouble. Just look around the beach. She is always out there somewhere. Regular water baby that girl."

Eric smiled. "Thanks for your help." He was out the door before Watson could reply and down the street before he realized he'd neglected the single most important question he had meant to ask the man. "Damn... I still don't know her name." He laughed at himself, lightly kicking a lamppost as he crossed the street. His eagerness to find this girl was sabotaging his chances from the get-go.

Shaking his head, he looked up just in time to see the back of a red-headed female in a pair of brown shorts and a gray tank-top as the person disappeared into a store. She had the right build, and the approximate height he figured his mystery mermaid was. He quickened his pace, ducking into the store and scanning the space for the red-head. He spotted her toward the middle of the store, her back once again to him. Clearing his throat and gathering his confidence, he walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me..."

A stunned young woman turned to face a much younger boy. "Yes, hon?" Her soft brown eyes studied him.

Eric sighed. This wasn't the girl he'd seen on the stage. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else. I apologize."

The woman nodded. "It happens to the best of us, darling. Don't worry about it."

Eric managed a nod and a goodbye then high-tailed it out of the store. Maybe some lunch at the café would ease his embarrassment a little bit. Besides, he was really hungry anyhow. The choice made, he meandered down the strip till he got to his destination. As he entered the door, he slammed into two older men coming out. "Shit. I'm sorry. My mind is making me clumsy today."

Marcus Jetsam smiled politely at the boy. "We're quite fine. No harm done."

Eric nodded. "Everyone on this island is so kind... is there something in the water?"

Marcus found himself laughing in spite of his annoyance at the interruption of his task. The boy was clever. "It's possible."

Eric watched the men exit the café and head into some kind of music store. There was another red-headed female, her back turned, standing by the large display window. She looked like she could easily be his target, but his embarrassment over the last encounter held him back. He took a seat away from the front of the café and forced his mind to focus on the menu in his hands. It probably wasn't the right girl anyway.

Ariel thumbed through the instrumental music section of Joe's Jukebox Jumble, her attention captivated by the Reggae feel of the tune coming from the headphones on her ears. She loved this piece! Smiling, she tried to hum with the notes but no sound came. She'd forgotten about her lack of voice. The music had just taken her away, so to speak.

Sighing in sorrow, she put the headphones back on their shelf and walked out of the store. She headed down the strip toward the little pet store that sold both exotic and ordinary animals. Maybe some time with the kittens and puppies would brighten her mood.

After his meal, Eric decided to head on home via the beach. He would try again tomorrow to find that girl, but right now he just wanted to get back.

It was beginning to get a little dark when Ariel finally left the pet store. She headed down the empty strip, her figure bathed in the bright lamplight. Since she had neither a watch nor a phone, the time was nothing but a best guess. If she had to pinpoint the hour, she'd say it was somewhere between six and eight p.m. because the restaurants and the four dance clubs were the only things still open. In the silence, the clacking of her heeled sandals echoed off the brick walkway. She'd take the beach access and walk around the island to get home faster.

Marcus and Vince waited together behind the largest sand dune they could find. Their little powerboat was resting just in front of them on the beach. The girl would pass by soon. It grew darker and darker as the night settled in. Together, they waited in the silence just listening to the crash of the waves against the rocks around this part of the shore.

Ariel stopped in her tracks when she spotted the abandoned powerboat beached on the sand. Was someone in trouble? She ran to the boat's edge, looking over the deck. It was empty. Perplexed, she started to turn away but someone caught her around the waist and pinned her arms behind her.

Terrified, she tried to scream but she knew there would be no sound. As her attacker wound something over her wrists, she raised her head and flung it backward hoping to break something, preferably a nose. Someone cursed and a hand came across her mouth, a white cloth pressed over her face.

Someone was trying to Chloroform her! What the hell had she walked into? She swung her heel backward against her capture's leg and hit the sand hard when the person released her. She barely had time to take in a long breath and get to her feet before another pair of arms lifted her off the ground, pressing the white cloth to her face again.

Kicking out with all her spirit, her feet hit nothing but dead air. If she couldn't make any kind of noise she could never alert anyone! Her heart began to pound in her ears and jump against her ribs. She could hold her breath for a long time, but sooner or later she'd have to breathe and then she'd suck in the chemical!

Vince leaned against the edge of the powerboat massaging his leg, a look of venom trained on the girl that struggled against Marcus's hold. She was going to pay for that hit!

Marcus patiently waited for the young girl to lose all her fight, his arms around her throat and chest in a strong hold. Slowly, he pressed his arm against her wind-pipe not to keep her quiet, but to cut off her air and force her to breathe in the Chloroform. She was strong, he'd give her that. It almost made him smile the way she'd taken down Vince so easily. And here she was holding her breath and fighting to move her head enough to catch gasps of fresh air. She was smart and level-headed, and no doubt she was also absolutely terrified. He could feel the sensation of her heart beating in hyper drive and he knew she'd give up soon.

Tears were running down her cheeks as Ariel tried again and again to free her face from that damn cloth. Her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen. She needed to breathe! Switching her approach, she rammed her bound hands against her attacker's stomach but the person barely flinched.

Marcus didn't even have to struggle to remain on his feet after that blow. He sucked in his breath and pressed the cloth over her face even harder. She would breathe in shortly, her racing pulse told him that much.

Damnit! No! Ariel's mind was screaming for her now. Her head rocked with the force of her anger and fear. But there was no one to hear it. No one but her.

Marcus watched the girl give up and gasp for air. She fell limp against him almost instantly and he carefully lifted her into his arms. Turning toward Vince, he stepped into the powerboat. "Let's hurry up and get to the yacht. This took longer than I expected."

Vince nodded, starting the boat up. "Headed there now."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – Hey, loyal readers. Sorry it's been a bit between chapters; I've had some family issues to deal with. But now I'm back. Remember, the game is still going so good luck and enjoy. Also, of course, review after you've read. Now, where was it we left our favorite red-headed mermaid?

Chapter 5-

The following day, Eric and Aaron sat in the kitchen laughing and eating lunch.

"I can't believe you forgot to ask the dude for her name. That's priceless, Eric." Aaron sputtered, the iced tea meant for his mouth dribbling down his chin. "Eh..emm…" He wiped his hand over his face quickly before finishing his thought. "I mean, you spend three days thinking about a girl you've never really met, find out where she works, and even …"

"Eric!" Grimsby's outburst stopped the conversation cold as both boys took off running for the living room.

Eric was the first to reach the space, and he quickly scanned the room to see what had elicited such a reaction from an otherwise soft-spoken man. His puzzled gaze followed Grimsby's bony finger as it pointed toward the television. "What, Grim?"

Aaron leaned over the back of the sofa, his elbows on the cushions and his eyes on the TV as a video of Triton's Palace played. "It's just a story about the restaurant."

Grimsby shook his head in protest just as the female news anchor came back onto the screen. He turned up the volume and waited for the boys to catch on.

On the television, the news woman was reciting her information in a cold, detached manner. "Again, if anyone has any information about the whereabouts of this young lady, please call the station or the police immediately. Miss. Waters was last seen at Joe's Jukebox Jumble, a local music store on the main strip. She is about five feet, eight inches in height and was last seen wearing what was described to us as a 'short, white dress and sandals with a heel'."

Aaron clicked his tongue in shock. "Well, damn."

Eric looked to his older friend. "That's all you have to say? Well, damn? A girl is missing." Something slowly occurred to him, his mind reviewing what the news lady had said. "I saw her. Today. I almost spoke to her."

Aaron clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Easy, Mate. You couldn't have known, and I doubt you would have made a difference anyhow."

Grimsby cleared his throat, sitting forward in the chair. He studied his young charge carefully. He knew this boy like no other and he saw how guilt-ridden the lad had become. "Eric, I'm sure she'll be found. The cops are very competent here. They found you only after a few hours, remember."

Eric nodded, his mind on something else entirely. "I think that's the girl, Grim."

Aaron and Grimsby stared at Eric, their understanding arriving in unison. "What?"

Grimsby shook his head as he stood up. "You don't even know what that girl looked like. We missed the photo."

Eric adamantly shook his head. "No. They showed that clip of the restaurant too. It was of the entertainment. The mermaids. I know it's her."

Aaron watched them both a moment before speaking. "Eric, be reasonable. The only thing you know about this mystery girl is that she is a red-head and works at Triton's Palace. Okay, so she may be one of the mermaids, all right. But what says she's the right mermaid?"

Heading out of the room, Eric called over his shoulder. "I'm going to look for her. She's out there, somewhere. I know it."

Grimsby sighed, trying to grab Eric's arm as he passed. "There are tons of red-headed young ladies on this island, young man. And the one you're searching for is one you've never even seen clearly. What makes you so certain you'll find her?"

Eric brought his eyes to the older man's. "When I find her, I'll know it. It'll just…bam… hit me, like lightning. That does happen, you know." Without another word, he turned and left.

As the back door clicked closed, Grimsby and Aaron shared a worry-filled look.

"He's a stubborn one, that young man…" Grimsby tried to suppress a smile as he went into the other room, leaving Aaron to his own devices.

Max, whom had been peacefully napping just outside the back door, jerked his head up when his owner and companion stepped out of the house. He barked joyfully and lumbered to his feet, running over to Eric. He nudged the boy's leg affectionately and barked again waiting to see what his master was planning to do.

Smiling, Eric kneeled down to pet the dog on the back. "Hey, boy. Sorry, didn't mean to wake ya. Wanna go for a walk?" He ruffled the dog's fur just under the royal blue collar. "Hmm? I could use a guard dog with your talents. What da ya say?" With a half nod, Max barked his consent, licking the boy's cheek and making him chuckle softly. "Okay. Let's go." He straightened up again and they headed out onto the beach beyond.

Out on the water, perfectly hidden within a massive yacht aptly titled _Deceptive Natures_, Marcus and Vince sat at an old fashioned card table playing their seventy-fifth hand of Poker. Just to their right was the door leading to the cabin bedroom where their young captive was being held.

As another loud crashing sound came from behind the cabin door, Vince drew a knife from his boot. "If she doesn't stop that shit, I'm going to cut off her arm!"

Marcus turned his attention toward the door, his mind on the knife. "If we had bound her, she wouldn't be able to throw things. I told you we should have had the foresight to bring rope with us."

Another crash echoed into the tiny anti-room making both men uneasy. Vince was itching to cut the girl and Marcus was having a difficult time keeping his partner-in-crime at bay. Ursula wouldn't be around for another hour either, so something needed to be done soon or else the neighboring boats were going to get curious.

"Damn, bitch! That's it! I'm not waiting on her majesty anymore!" Vince kicked his chair away, stomping toward the cabin door, the knife level with his waist.

Marcus dove for the door, barely getting there before the other man. "Vince, calm down." He raised his hands, palms out, in front of his body. "Take it easy. She's just a scared little girl. She's reacting in fear."

"Scared? Ha." Vince scoffed. "I'll give her something to be scared of! Out of my way, Marcus!" He glared at the other man.

Knowing he had little chance to get control over this situation, Marcus sighed. "I'll speak to her. If she quiets down, you leave her alone. Understood?"

Vince just growled and went to retrieve his chair.

Marcus pulled the key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. He shut the door behind him, looking around. The bedroom was a wreck. Everything that was not nailed down had been broken or ruined in some manner. The bed was missing the sheets, the elegant red, silk comforter piled on the floor. A wooden chair was split in two, the legs missing. The medium sized television unit was near the wall, lying on its side as if thrown there. The place looked like a rabid animal was on the loose. But where was the girl?

He stepped forward cautiously. "Miss. Waters? I'm not going to hurt you." Marcus called, moving to the center of the ransacked room. He could see the girl standing by the sink, washing her hands. Perhaps she had just used the restroom, he thought. He moved over to the bathroom door, pushing it open.

Ariel stared into the mirror above the sink, her blue eyes matching the gaze of the older man. Her expression was half fearful, half aggressive. In her mind, she thought of a rather sarcastic response- _Not gonna hurt me? Yeah right. He just kidnaps young girls for a lark with no intention of harming them. What does he think I am, intellectually challenged? Not gonna hurt me, bullshit!_-

Marcus let his gaze fall over the girl, down her body and to the sink. Red water was running down the drain. "What did you do?" Worried, he stepped over to the girl, ignoring her obvious discomfort, and took her hands in his. Her left palm had a fierce slash across the skin. Somehow, she'd cut herself and was trying to clean it. "Ok. Come on. Sit down." He directed her body to the bed just outside the door and forced her to sit down. "You probably cut yourself while tearing apart this room. I'll bandage your hand, but you need to calm down. My associate is less forgiving. He wants to play butcher and I'm having a damn hard time keeping him away from you."

Ariel watched the man carefully after she sat down. She watched his mannerisms, his apparent big brother-like attitude as he spoke to her. Something told her, she was in safe hands with this man. At least, as far as him not trying to kill her. But there was also a sense of distorted affection there under the surface. That was what she needed to watch out for.

Wordlessly, Marcus ripped a strip from the hem of his shirt and wound it around the girl's injury. As he worked, he couldn't help but notice how smooth her skin was against his. And she smelled amazing too, like salt-water mixed with roses. All common sense left him as her closeness taunted his resolve not to become inappropriate with the girl. He caved, running his hand over her thigh, his fingers curling inward.

Sitting up straight, Ariel stared at the unwelcome hand. His touch felt like fire, but the bad kind. She felt suddenly helpless and it terrified her. More than ever, she wished she still had her voice. A high pitched scream right now would be a godsend. But she was mute. Mute and starting to spiral into panic. Instinctively, she flinched, snapping her legs together and pushing his hand away.

Undeterred by her response, Marcus leaned over forcing the girl onto her back. "I'm only patient when I know there is a reason and a reward. You offer neither." Slowly, he trailed his other hand over her neck.

Her heart pounding in her ears, and her anger flaring like a wild fire through her veins, Ariel shifted her body to the side and slammed her knee into the man's stomach forcing him to fall to the floor from the blow. She scrambled from the bed, running for the door just as it flew open.

Ursula stood in the open doorway, her manicured hand on the knob. "Running out on me so soon? It's not polite to leave without telling your hostess goodbye." She glanced to Marcus crumpled on the floor. "Get up. Go keep your friend company for a while. Ariel and I have some things to discuss."

Ariel watched the man leave, then turned her attention to the woman. She looked a little younger than her father, but was much more refined. No doubt, she was one of the rich-chicks, a member of some elite woman's club here on the island. She wore a pristine black suit, tailored to her perfect curves, and a pair of dangerously high-heeled black dress sandals. Her long, whitish-blond hair hung loose down her back.

Ursula shut the door with a snap. "Now then, Dear. I know you can't speak so I'll do the talking." She turned to look at the girl. "I'm Ursula. My last name is of no concern to you. Simply think of me as your fashionable fairy-godmother. I want something, you want something. We are in a position to help each other. You want to sing professionally, as well as find some local boy you rescued from drowning. Right?"

Ariel made no response.

"Not that I blame you. He is quite a catch. Handsome. Rich. Ocean Royalty." Ursula smiled, sitting down on the bed.

At the word 'royalty' Ariel titled her head to convey confusion and disbelief.

Clocking the move, Ursula nodded. "Oh yes. His father is one of the world's richest entrepreneurs in the yacht chartering business. You might say he was the king. Thus, your dashing young man is the prince."

Ariel slowly moved away from the door, toward the only remaining chair in the room. She sunk down into the seat, her eyes on the older woman. Steadying herself, she listened to what the mysterious woman had to say.

"Now then, I can call in some favors and get you seen by the best record execs in the business." Ursula cast her eyes down to her hands, checking on her manicure. "See, Darling, I'm offering you an once-in-a-lifetime chance. And all I want in return is one tiny little thing. A piece of paper." She looked up, holding the young girl's gaze. "Your father's deed to the restaurant."

Ariel's mouth dropped open as she vigorously shook her head "NO". No way was she going to trade her career for her father's business. Never. This woman was barking up the wrong tree.

Ursula stood up. "Don't misunderstand me, young lady. This is not a request. I expect to have your father's deed in my hands by the end of the week."

Ariel jumped from the chair, shaking her head in defiance.

"Let me make this clear." Ursula flexed her right hand and a blade appeared from within her sleeve. "If you want prince charming to live, along with the rest of your family, you will not test me." She brought the blade close to Ariel's eyes. "It's Monday. You have until Sunday at sundown. I'll see you then."

Unable to speak, Ariel watched the woman leave. What now? She couldn't just hand over her dad's deed, but if she didn't everyone she cared about was going to die. Annoyed, she kicked the chair she'd been sitting in. This was hopeless!

Outside the door, Ursula addressed her minions. "My dears, it would seem that she needs some convincing, a little coaxing. Flotsam, Jetsam. Don't disappoint Mommy." She ran her fingers over Marcus's cheek. "You show our guest what she needs to see, hmmm?" She smiled seductively, tracing Vince's shoulder. "Play nice with the little one, we do need her coherent after all."

Then she was gone and Vince and Marcus stood there staring after her.

"Why don't you turn on some music and make us some dinner." Marcus said, moving toward the cabin door again. "I've got unfinished business."

Vince nodded, scowling a bit. "I bet you do. Just leave her alert enough for me."

Marcus nodded, turning the knob. "Certainly."

Ariel was studying the port-hole windows carefully when Marcus re-entered the room. She looked over to him, her expression wary. What was he doing back here?

"This time, I suggest you not fight me." Marcus stated calmly, shutting the door behind him. He walked over to the girl's position on the other side of the room. "Think of me like an explorer. I just want to discover new territory."

Ariel backed up into the wall.

He moved forward, more assured of himself now. "I'm not going to rape you."

At the word 'rape', her head snapped up. She needed to escape!

Marcus reached the terrified girl and went to his knees before her. He gripped her waist in one hand, anchoring her in place with his strong grasp. His other hand went to her back as he moved his mouth to her shoulder, kissing her bare skin. He whispered into her ear. "I can't risk the repercussions of taking you. They could send me to jail for many years. But, there are always ways around such things. You'll learn that once you get older."

Under the unwelcome touch, Ariel's skin crawled and she tried to push him off of her. She felt a draft across her thighs and looked down to see he had lifted the hem of her dress up over her hips. His fingers curled over the waist of her short-shorts and she gulped down air. Tears threatened to fall as she tried to ignore the hand snaking its way under her clothes. But she refused to huddle into a corner and let this happen. She wasn't a coward. She was strong! She'd saved a boy from drowning, even giving up her voice in order to keep him aware till help arrived. There was no way this man was going to get away with this! Oh hell no!

She glanced in all directions, looking for something to slam down on the older man's head. There were broken pieces of chair all over the place, but those were too far away. She needed something now! A flash of black caught her eye and she turned her head toward the built-in dresser beside her. A glass vase was sitting near the corner, a single glass flower in it. She lunged to her left, grabbing the vase and plunging it through the air onto the man's head just before his hand reached its destination.

Marcus's hand dropped from around the girl's waist, his other one hanging against her thigh a moment before he fell backward. His eyes rolled back in his head and his breathing went quiet.

She righted her clothing, stepped over the unconscious man, and vaulted over the bed. She ducked into the closet, curling inside the secret compartment she'd found earlier while looking for a way out, and purposely trashing the place. Using the jagged piece of glass she'd broken from the little hand mirror she'd found in the bathroom cabinet, she pierced the mesh that covered her escape route. She slid the piece of glass down and across the large square and then ripped the torn parts off the frame.

Very carefully, she crawled through the opening into a little, dark corridor made of something like metal. It was probably for the air-conditioning, she thought as she made her way through to the other end. She could see the glow of the deck lights before she reached the next mesh grating. Salty sea-air smacked her in the face as she breathed deep.

Again, she pierced the mesh with the little piece of glass and ripped her way through it. She scrambled out onto the deck, landing with a soft thud. She was free. Smiling in her triumph, she got to her feet and took a step then stopped. The heels of her nice, dress sandals clicked against the deck making noise like a tracking beacon. She unbuckled the straps and carried the shoes the rest of the way to the edge of bow. Without hesitation, she dropped the sandals into the water and then dove in herself.

The water was like ice and it took her minute to get her bearings. She could see Siren Island off in the distance to her right and began to swim in that direction as the sea fought against her every stroke.

After a really long, and draining, swim she barely had the energy to lift her body onto a rock that set a little off-shore. Panting, she sucked in mouthfuls of deliciously crisp air. Her limbs ached, her stomach was hollow and twisted, and her shoulders were quaking with shots of pain. She had to rest. Here, where ever that was. And now.

Hours later, cold and disoriented, Ariel woke to the overzealous squawking of a sea bird. Slowly, she lifted her head up and opened her eyes. The morning had broken and the early sunlight was creeping over the water and shore in a soft shadow. She went to sit up and plummeted into the ocean because there was no bottom. Laughing without sound, she crawled over the rock and looked around trying to recognize where she'd been washed up.

There were a lot of rocks around the area. Even a wall, like a partition, made of natural rock formations separated her from the rest of the beach. Something about this place was vaguely familiar, but in her weakened state she couldn't figure out what that something was.

She waded out of the water and dropped to the sand like a stone. She had no energy to move. Then, a very familiar noise caught her attention and she turned her head to see her old sea-gull friend, Scuttle, flying overhead.

The bird came to rest by her side, staring at her. He was no doubt surprised to see her here instead of back home. He inched closer, greeting her with a little bow.

She smiled, nodding back to him. He seemed to sit there, waiting for her to say something. She sat up slowly and shook her head.

Scuttle seemed to understand, because he took off into the air once again.

It was several minutes before she managed to make it to a larger rock that was half her height off the ground. She sat down, curling her bare legs up and lying down against the semi-hot stone to rest.

As the morning sun hit the back side of the beach house, Eric stepped out of the double doors with Max at his heels. He ruffled the dog's fur with a smile. "Come on, boy." He walked through the grass and over the little wooden bridge without a word; Max's padding paws made the only sound.

Max took off down the beach, romping around and barking in joyful appreciation of the walk.

Eric laughed, watching the dog play with the surf and snap at crabs on the sand. Even in the face of imminent disaster, Max was a happy puppy, so to speak. For his part though, he hadn't stopped thinking about his failure last night after a five hour search. He didn't even want to think about what sort of things the girl was going through, or had dealt with. He didn't permit himself to consider her dead, either.

Four very distinctive barks brought a slightly groggy Ariel form her slumber. That sheep dog from the other night stood beside the rock, looking up at her. She smiled, sitting up and petting him. Hey there, she thought to herself.

"Max!" Eric ran in the direction of the insistent barking. "Hey, Max! Come here, boy! People are sleeping!"

Max barked once and then took off back the way he had come. He reached his master and yanked on the boy's pants leg, dragging him along.

"Whoa. Ok, boy. What is it?" Eric looked up as they rounded the corner of the giant rock outcropping and stared in shock. "Oh…" Sitting on a rock, and looking a little worse for wear, was a slender red-head with brilliant blue eyes like the mermaid that captivated him so on stage that day.

He walked closer, holding out his hand. "I'm Eric. You're her, aren't you? The girl I've been looking for?"

Ariel nodded, taking his hand willingly. She took a moment to study him. His wind-swept black hair looked damp from a recent shower, and he wore a white button down over a white wife-beater as well as those snap-on track pants that guys on the island were so fond of. His were dark blue and he had brown thong sandals on his tanned feet, which the dog was sniffing. She laughed in spite of herself, but there was no sound.

Eric stepped closer, becoming flush with the rock. He still held her small hand in his. "You can't speak, can you?"

Saddened, Ariel shook her head.

He smiled. "Well, come on. You look like you've been through the ringer. I can get you something to eat and a shower, if you like."

Nodding, she moved off the rock and fell into his arms as she discovered that her legs weren't ready to make motion. They were probably rebelling after all that swimming the previous night.

Eric caught her easily, his hands coming to either side of her waist to steady her. "Careful." He smiled at her, pleased to have finally found his rescuer and be able to return the favor.

Feeling comfortable in his arms, Ariel let Eric keep his hold on her waist as he lead her back to his residence, Max happily trotting at their heels.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- Just a reminder that the game is still going on. Hope you like this chapter. Now back to the story, shall we?...

Chapter 6-

Aaron yawned, scratching the back of his head as he wandered out of the single bedroom he'd staked a claim to a few days ago. His vision was slightly impaired from the late night drinking fest he and Brooke had been a part of the previous night. He flipped on the hall light and ambled into the great-room where the television was located.

He spotted Eric sitting on the coffee table that stood in front of the large sofa. From his position, it looked like his friend was studying the cushions. He cleared his throat to make his presence known. "Morning, Man."

Startled, Eric jerked up his head. "Aaron. Shhh!" He let his gaze drop back to the girl asleep on the sofa. "Be quiet. I don't want Grim waking up early."

Aaron moved across the room and looked down to the front side of the sofa. Right there on the cushions was the girl from the news story. She was very beat-up looking with a ripped dress, a bandaged hand, and what looked like a mild knife wound on her collar bone. Shaking his head, he looked over to the younger boy. "Where'd she even come from? And how long has she been here?"

Eric continued to study the sleeping girl as he answered the questions as best he could. "Well, uhmm…She came from the sea. I, uh…found her about an hour ago when I took Max for his morning run. There she was, just laying on this rock. She could barely stand, let alone walk on her own. So I offered her a couch to rest, a phone to call her family, and a shower to relax. But, by the time we got here she was so exhausted she collapsed on the couch and I didn't have the heart to move her."

Everything made sense except for one little thing that made Aaron raise a brow. "Umm what exactly do you mean she came from the sea?"

"Well, I think she swam away from somewhere." Eric smiled down to the girl as she shifted in her sleep and exposed the top of her thigh as her white dress rode up. He saw the white short-shorts and grinned to himself as he gently tugged the dress back over her legs.

Aaron said nothing for a long time. He simply stood there and tried to process everything. He wasn't really in the right frame of mind to contemplate all of it. But one thing was certain, the cops needed to be notified soon.

Ariel finally opened her eyes, her blurred gaze landing on the boy seated right in front of her. She recognized the black-haired boy with a gentle smile, starting to sit up. Then she noticed the other boy and titled her head in question.

Aaron stared back at the girl, addressing Eric. "Why is she staring at me like that?"

Eric turned to glance at his friend and laughed. "Most likely because you're standing there in your boxers and she doesn't know you."

Ariel nodded her head at Eric's explanation.

"I…uh…" Aaron blinked, looking down. "Right. I believe I'll go get dressed now…"

Eric laughed, watching him leave and then turning back to the girl. "I think you should call your family now. And I'll see what there is for breakfast."

As he stood up, she grabbed his arm and shook her head. She lightly patted her throat, shook her head no, and then pantomimed calling someone.

It took him a moment, but slowly it dawned on Eric. The girl couldn't talk still. A phone call would be useless unless he did it himself. He sighed, nodding back to her. "Ok. How about a bath, or shower, then? You can borrow a t-shirt of mine and I'll run your stuff through a quick cycle."

She nodded.

"Ok." He smiled and helped her to her feet just in case her equilibrium was still off. "The bathroom is the second door on the right. Just go down the hall there. You can drop your clothes outside the door for me."

Ariel nodded, moving out of the room. Her footing was balanced and she made her way to the bathroom with ease. She turned the knob to hot and pressed the odd-looking shower tab into the up position. Carefully, she slipped out of her clothes and dropped them in a heap outside the door as Eric had told her to do. Then, she stepped into the shower and let the scalding water wash away everything.

Eric could hear the roar of the shower as he scooped up the girl's clothes from the hall floor. He headed back down the hall and back into the laundry room, which he had been fortunate to discover just the other night after Aaron had spilled his beer all over his board shorts. He didn't think about checking labels, and just dumped everything into the washer together. He turned on the machine, waited for the water, and added a little laundry detergent before shutting the lid. It would be another ten minutes before the washing cycle was done, so he left the room.

He headed back to his bedroom and pawed through his luggage for a big enough t-shirt in a darker color. He figured that if she was wearing shorts under her strapless dress then she would appreciate wearing a shirt in a dark color so that her chest was less noticeable. He found a navy blue one with a surfing logo across the front and walked back into the hall, hanging it off the bathroom door knob for her.

He went back to the laundry room to check on her clothes and moved the load from the washer to the dryer. Anxious to get back to the girl, he went back to his room and sat down on the bed.

Waking from his own nap in the living room, Max walked around and lay down in front of the closed bathroom door as if he was protecting the person within. He watched the empty hall with a sense of alertness he rarely displayed. His ears perked up as the bathroom door opened and the girl ruffled his fur.

Ariel moved down the hall looking for Eric's room. She felt better after her shower, but it wasn't enough. She needed someone to talk to, even if actual talking was not possible at the moment. She stepped into an open door way and smiled. Eric was lying on the bed, his eyes on the ceiling fan.

She entered the room, her bare feet making no sound on the plush carpeting. The fan was on and it caught her damp hair in a gentle wave of cool air as she stepped over to the bed.

Eric felt drawn to look elsewhere and smiled brightly when he did. The girl stood by his bed, her upper half nearly swallowed up in his t-shirt. The hem of the shirt just skimmed her mid-thighs and he noticed that she had one hand tugging it down more. "I thought it would be a little longer. Sorry." He sat up. "Your clothes should be dry shortly. Maybe five minutes. Did you want anything? Are you hungry?"

Ariel nodded emphatically and used her other hand to press her stomach hoping it implied she felt empty.

He nodded. "Alright. We've got plenty in the kitchen. Come on." He started to take her hand, then stopped. She was barely even clothed. The last thing he needed was to make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already did.

As they walked to the kitchen, Max followed along. He barked for the girl's attention and she went to her knees on the kitchen floor, petting the dog affectionately while trying to hold her shirt down.

Eric popped into the laundry room and checked on her clothes. They were mostly dry so he pulled them out of the dryer and went back into the kitchen with them. "Here." He offered her the pile and she took it. Before he could say anything, the girl motioned for him to turn his back and he did so without question. While she was getting dressed, he tried not to think about the fact that she was just a few feet away and nearly nude.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and turned back around. The girl smiled at him. She had her dress slung over her arm and was still wearing his t-shirt. He moved to the refrigerator. "So, what would you like for breakfast?"

She went to his side and looked inside the open refrigerator. She scanned the contents carefully, spotted a container of cream cheese, and glanced back to the counter to see if she could pinpoint any bagels. Not seeing any, she thought about how to make Eric understand her. She nabbed the cream cheese from the shelf and waved it in front of his face.

Eric nodded. It was starting to get easier to understand the girl now. He opened the little bread box on the counter and pulled out the package of plain bagels. "There's a knife in that drawer there." He pointed to his left. "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home."

Ariel nodded, extracting the milk from the refrigerator before closing it. She went to work preparing her breakfast while he went off elsewhere.

Eric knocked on Aaron's bedroom door. "Hey, Man. You asleep again?"

Aaron opened the door, looking to his friend. "I was talking to Brooke. What ya need?"

Eric leaned against the door frame. "Do you have any paper and a pen? Or know where I can get some?"

"Hmmm…I might." Aaron answered, walking over to his duffle bag and rummaging through the contents. He pulled out a yellow notebook and a pen and handed them to Eric. "You can use this."

Eric nodded. "Thanks. She's done in the bathroom now, so you can shower if you want."

Aaron nodded and shut his door again.

Ariel was seated at the table, spreading cream cheese on half of a bagel when Eric re-entered the kitchen. She looked up as he sat down directly to her left and set a spiral notebook on the table. She watched him open the notebook and fold back the cover, wondering about his actions.

Eric set the pen on the blank page of paper. "What is your name?"

Ariel set down her bagel half and wrote her response. _Ariel Waters. But we've met once already. I saved you from drowning._

He read her answer and lightly laid his hand over hers. "Ariel. That's pretty. And thanks for saving me that night. So, what happened to you?"

She sighed and thought about exactly what to tell him, and then she wrote her response. _I was kidnapped. But I got away. I think I swam for hours. They were at sea when I woke up._

He stared at her reply. If she hadn't been a strong swimmer, she could have been killed. He looked up into her sparkling blue eyes. "I'm glad you're okay, Ariel."

She smiled back, and then took another bite of her bagel.

He cleared his throat, thinking about what else to ask. "Umm… Oh. What's your phone number and who do I need to speak to?"

She nodded and penned the information for him. _145-7842. My father is Triton. Or my sister Adella, Aquata, or you may have to deal with Arista. Not sure. The others never answer the phone. Just say your name and that you came across me lying on the beach this morning. When you speak to someone, imply that I think it is wise to stay hidden and would like permission to remain so._

Slightly surprised, he looked up. "You want to stay here? Instead of going home?"

She nodded her head yes, and then wrote again. _I'm not safe yet. And if I head home my family could be in jeopardy too. This woman…she knows us. She's thorough._

He gently patted her shoulder, looking into her saddened blue eyes. "My chaperone is going to hate it, but I'll plead your case. You can stay with me as long as you need to, Ariel."

She quickly scrawled _thank you_, and then fell against him. Her arms went around his neck as she hugged him strongly, simply grateful for his sense of worry and care for her safety. She smiled to herself as she felt his arms come around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. She slowly breathed in his scent, marking it for memory later, and felt all her apprehension about her rocky future start to fall away. For the moment, the only thing on her mind was how right this hug felt and how much she wanted to never let go.

Directly after she had fallen against him, he prepared for an emotional breakdown but was pleasantly surprised not to see one. Instead of tears, she had simply clung to him in silence. He had no problem returning her embrace and noticed that she did not make any sign of discomfort when he allowed his feelings to flood his brain processes and instinctually pulled her closer to his own body.

"Eh emm."

Both Ariel and Eric turned their heads in the direction of the abrupt sound of interruption.

Grimsby stood in the kitchen, his old eyes trained on the young red-head. "Might I venture to say you are the missing lady from the news?"

Eric sheepishly removed one of his arms, turning his body toward his elder friend. "I ran across her earlier. She was washed up on the beach. And Grim, she can't speak."

Grimsby glanced to the young woman. "I am fervently pleased to see little harm has befallen you, Miss. However, you are being sought after by both a worried family and the local police force. You need to contact one or the other, if not both, soon."

Ariel nodded. She was warming up to the older, and slightly stodgier, gentleman. She decided that she liked him.

Eric pushed his chair away from the table, dropping his other arm from Ariel's waist, and passed into the great-room to retrieve the cordless phone. He set the receiver down on the table where he had been sitting, and then sat back down again. He checked the number she had written, dialing it with a sense of calm. He listened to it ring and ring a long time before someone picked up.

A frazzled female's voice came through the speaker. "Waters Residence. Please let this be about my sister."

Eric nodded even though the woman could not see him. "My name is Eric Davis. I'm a vacationer on the island. I was out walking my dog a few minutes ago and came across a girl washed up on the beach." Before continuing, he shifted his gaze to Ariel who sat at rapt attention with her hand poised to write anything he needed to know. "She's a slender red-head, blue eyes, tanned but fair complexion and she was wearing a ruined white dress with no shoes. I brought her back to my place after discovering that she can't speak."

Within the Water's house, Arista leaned her body against the wall as she listened to the voice on the phone telling her that her little sister was alive. Trying to keep her tears of joy in check, she cleared her throat before responding. "Thank you! So much. Is she alright? What happened to her?"

Back at the other end of the line, Eric glanced to Ariel. "One of your sisters wants to know if you are alright and what happened to you."

Ariel nodded and went to work writing her response. _Which sister? Tell her I was walking home and someone grabbed me from behind and overpowered me enough to drug me. I woke up inside a cabin bedroom I did not recognize and immediately proceeded to search for an escape. I eventually found one and took it, being forced to swim all the way back to our island. Then you rescued me._

Condensing the information slightly, Eric recited Ariel's reply to the other woman. "She wants to know which sister I'm speaking to, and she said to tell you she was on her way home when someone overpowered her and drugged her. She woke up in some cabin bedroom and instantly searched for a way to escape. She found one and ended up swimming a long way back to the island."

On the other end of line, Arista nodded. "Tell her it's Arista. I'm going to get our father now." She answered, heading for their father's study and rapping on the door. She covered the mouth piece of the receiver and looked up as her father slowly swung open the door.

Triton Waters stared through glazed eyes at his daughter. "Is it news of Ariel?" His usually spirited tone was hollow and dragging. "Is she alive?"

Arista smiled, attempting to her father at ease. "Yes and yes, Daddy. Just talk to the guy." She pressed the receiver into his hand. "And be kind. The kid seems scared as it is."

Triton put the receiver to his ear. "This is Triton Waters. To whom am I speaking and what information about my daughter do you have?"

Back in his rented kitchen, Eric took Ariel's hand to ease her worry. He spoke into the receiver confidently. "I'm Eric Davis. I am vacationing here for the summer. I'm happy to say I found your daughter on the beach this morning. She said she was kidnapped and escaped before she could learn who her captors were. But, she also wants to know if you would be alright with her not coming home just yet. She doesn't feel safe." He motioned for Grimsby, before continuing. "I'm here with my father's best friend and we are more than willing to take care of Ariel for a few days. We'd also like to invite you to meet us tonight."

Standing outside his study, Triton breathed a strong sigh of relief. "I agree. Just one question. You said Ariel told you these things, but she is not talking to me directly. Her voice is still on hiatus isn't it? Give me your address. I'll meet you all at your place later on tonight, before the dinner shift at my restaurant. I'll bring her some clothes too. And son… Thank you so much."

Eric's voice cracked over the line as he replied. "You're welcome, Mr. Waters. Hang on and I'll get that address for you." He put his hand over the mouth piece and looked up to Grimsby. "Can you find out this address? Maybe ask Aaron?"

Grimsby immediately nodded and exited the room. He arrived at Aaron's bedroom and knocked smartly against the wood. "Aaron. I need to know the address of this house."

Aaron opened the door. "Uh… hang on…" He moved back into the room and went over to his duffle bag, rummaging through all the outer-pockets. Triumphantly, he pulled a crumpled brochure from one of them and returned to the older man. He handed it over. "This is how I found the place. Page nine." He leaned against the door a moment, studying Grimsby. "The girl's gonna stay here, huh?"

Grimsby nodded. "It would seem so. Thank you." He quickly returned to the kitchen, thumbing through the brochure for the right page.

Eric looked up when Grimsby entered the kitchen and watched as the older man set a booklet on the table, opened to a certain page. He glanced down and saw a picture of the house they were currently in and then saw the information at the bottom. "Sorry for the delay. I found it. We are at 15675 Bluewater Drive. In the subdivision Castle Court. What time should I tell Ariel to expect you?"

On the other end of the line, Triton jotted down the information. "I'll be there by four. Please ask my daughter if there is anything in particular she wants me to get."

Back in the rented kitchen, Eric did just that and watched as Ariel wrote down a list of items. He read everything aloud. "She says tell Arista to gather up the following things. Her favorite sleep shirt, the one with the beach scene on the front. Four pairs of her short-shorts, any colors. Her blue jeans with the ripped knees. Her blue flip-flops. Her green two piece bathing suit. Her light blue sweatshirt. One extra bra. And any four shirts as long as two are sleeveless and two are short-sleeved. She also said to pack her tooth brush, her hair comb, a couple scrunchies, and of course some underwear."

Triton wrote everything down before hanging up the call and going in search of his older daughter. "Arista!" He went to her room and found it empty. He replaced the phone on its base and continued walking around and calling for his daughter. "Arista!"

After hearing her father, Arista popped her head out of Ariel's room as the old man headed her way. "I thought I would clean up a little before she got home." She ducked back inside her youngest sister's bedroom.

Triton followed her, speaking as he went. "I'm going to go see her shortly. She doesn't want to come home yet so I agreed to let her stay with the people who rescued her. Well, if I like them. She gave us a list of stuff to pack for her. You mind? I wouldn't exactly feel right going through my little girl's lingerie." He handed her the list.

Arista laughed with a nod as she took the scrap sheet of paper from him. "I'll be glad to save you the discomfort, Daddy." She eyed the list and began to walk around the room and search for the specific items. "Hey, Dad?"

Triton paused on his way out the door. "Yes?"

She looked up from her position in front of an open dresser drawer. "Does it ever bother you that all you got was girls for kids?" She found the correct sleep shirt and shut the drawer, dropping the garment on the bed. Then she moved to the closet.

He studied his daughter a long while before responding. "Each of you girls is a precious gem. You all have so much of your mother in you, both physical and mental. I'm so thankful to be reminded of that woman everyday I'm around my beautiful girls. And I have never wished to replace any of you with a son. Never."

Still at the closet, Arista was pulling the rest of the clothes off their hangers. She paused and looked toward her father. "…I'm sorry if I hurt you…" She dropped the sweatshirt, jeans, four shirts, and short-shorts onto the bed too before moving back to the dresser. She took out five pairs of panties and one bra, tossing them onto the pile on the bed.

Triton nodded quietly. "You didn't, Honey. I just never knew you wondered about it."

She nodded, pulling open a drawer strewn with bathing suit tops and bottoms. She shifted the contents around looking for the right bathing suit. "I guess, maybe we sometimes wondered about it because you seem so uncomfortable around us every once in a while."

Triton took her words to heart. "I have moments where one of you says or does something exactly like your mother would have. It gets to me momentarily, as it should. But then I am alright again."

She snatched her sister's purse off the floor and took out the comb, tossing it on the bed. "I understand that." Then stuck her foot under the dust ruffle of the bed and used her toes to snag the flip-flops there. "I guess, I don't know, we feel worried that maybe we remind you too much of someone you no longer can have around you." She bent down and picked up the flip-flops, dropping them on the pile of clothes. She stopped to check everything off the list and then retrieved a worn-in blue overnight bag from the closet and packed everything into it.

He simply shook his head. "Arista, I cherish your mother still. I always will." He moved over to the older girl and hugged her. "Neither you, nor any of your sisters could ever make me sorry to remember such an amazing woman."

Hugging her father back, she nodded. "I know. I know." She pulled back, remembering two things she'd forgotten to pack. "Oops." She went to the dresser again and took three scrunchies out of the top right-hand corner drawer and then dropped them into the bag as well. "Now I just need her tooth brush." She went to the bathroom and got it, slipping the item into the little plastic travel bag for safe keeping. With everything ready to go, she zipped the bag up and handed it to her father. "Tell Ariel I love her for me."

Triton nodded as he took the bag. "Of course, Honey. While I'm gone, call the police and let them know everything is okay now. I forgot to do that myself and I have to leave to get the restaurant in order for lunch." He walked out of the bedroom, carrying the bag by the handles, and left the house.

Ursula sat quietly in her oversized desk chair, her manicured nails clicking against the polished wood surface of her desk. She could not remember a time where she had been anywhere near this furious with her hired help. The damn girl had escaped!

She listened without words as Marcus Jetsam prattled on and on about how he felt personally responsible for the blunder and how he would get the girl back as soon as they got back to the island. Her anger was quickly multiplying with each pathetic 'I'm sorry' the man uttered.

How could this have even occurred! Clearly, the youngest Waters girl was a great deal more resourceful than she had anticipated. This caused for another type of plan, something with little room for error. She would need to construct a new scenario, and soon. Her business was at stake, as well her reputation as the ruthless woman she proved to be.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Miss me? Nah, kidding. Here's a slightly shorter ch.7 than originally planned, but I decided to break it up into two chapters instead so there ya go. I'm still working on ch.8, but it should be done by the weekend if not earlier. For those of you who remember the game, there are no quotes to find in this chapter but the game will continue with ch.8. And for those of you who are reading but not reviewing, how about a comment every now and then? Hmm? Read, Enjoy, and Review.- Jas

Chapter 7-

Eric watched as Ariel affectionately ruffled Max's fur, and kissed the dog's nose. Truth be told, he had no idea what to think of the girl. From the moment their eyes had met that day at the restaurant, he knew she was special and he had been drawn to her. Hell, he'd even vowed to find her when she went missing, and somehow he had. He dreamed about her at night and couldn't keep his thoughts off of her during the day. Then, suddenly, there she was on the beach and now here she was playing with his dog and wearing his t-shirt.

Aaron lightly tapped his friend on the shoulder. "Girls generally don't like to be ogled, my friend. It makes them feel like they're on display, like uh... store-front models." When Eric cast him a confused look, he smiled. "You're so obvious. Let her breathe, Mate."

Still unsure of his buddy's point, Eric nodded. "Uh…yeah."

Not thirty feet away, Ariel was sitting on the sand with a now tired Max by her side. She silently watched the water creep up to her bare feet and smiled. She wanted to swim. Unfortunately, her father hadn't dropped by Eric's place yet so her bathing suit was not on her person. No; she still wore Eric's t-shirt.

"Hey…" Eric eased himself down to sit beside her with Max between them.

She smiled at his greeting and used the traditional waving of the hand to convey her own hello.

He waved back. "So, I was thinking… After your dad leaves, do you want to do something? Maybe go somewhere?"

Ariel's blue eyes clouded as she bit her lip and looked off to the left. She did want to do something, and she would have loved to go somewhere. The fact was she wasn't safe around town anymore. She caught his gaze and shook her head "no".

Eric suddenly wasn't so sure of himself anymore. Had he completely misread her signals? He sighed and began to pet Max while trying to figure out what to say next.

Slowly, she moved her hand over the dog's coat, directly into the path of Eric's strokes. She could tell what he was thinking and wanted to make her feelings clear.

When his hand brushed over hers, he paused. He stared at her bandaged hand then gently took it into his own. She was telling him that she wasn't rejecting him. He held her hand in silence, just loving the way it made him feel.

"There's my head-strong Princess!" Triton Waters bellowed cheerfully as he caught of sight of his youngest daughter. He stepped out of the house, the older German-looking man at his side. He dropped the duffel bag on the grass and took off at a mad sprint.

Ariel turned her head at the call and grinned as her forty-something father crossed the distance like a teenage track star. She glanced toward Eric hopefully showing him that she wanted him to let her hand go so she could jump up and run to greet her dad.

Nodding, Eric released her hand and smiled as he watched her spring to her feet and fly across the sand. He got to his feet and made his way to the reunited family members, then waited patiently to be noticed.

Triton hugged his baby girl tightly, kissing the top of her hair. He was overjoyed to have her back safe and sound. "…Ariel…" He wasn't a man of many emotions but right then he was experiencing a wave of them, mostly relief.

Remembering Eric, Ariel pulled back and took her father's hand, leading it over to where he stood. She nabbed Eric's hand as well and tried to press them into each other indicating she wanted the men to shake hands.

Eric firmly shook the older man's hand. "Eric Davis. It's my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Waters."

Triton smiled, shaking the youth's hand back. "Call me Triton, Son." He glanced toward his daughter and noted her beaming smile. She cared for the boy, it seemed. "I can't thank you enough for taking such care of my pearl."

At her father's use of his pet name for his daughters, Ariel ducked her head and rolled her eyes. She really disliked being referred to as a precious gem, but then she knew where the pet name had come from so she would never voice her aversion to it.

Eric nodded and was about to say something when Grimsby arrived at the little group.

Grimsby nodded to the other older man. "Might I suggest we bring this inside? Lunch is prepared and ready to be served. You'll be staying, surely?"

Ariel animatedly nodded her head "yes".

Triton smiled. "It seems I have no choice. Lead the way, Sir."

The four of them walked back to the house and sat down at the table. Ariel sat next to Eric, while Triton sat across from his daughter so he could see her. It seemed like the better course of action considering she couldn't talk yet. Aaron joined them and Grimsby finally took his own seat after placing the food in the center of the table. The four men talked amicably while they ate and Ariel silently observed wishing more than ever to get her voice back.

After her father left, Ariel snagged the notebook and pen from the counter and went in search of Eric. She wrote as she walked, thinking carefully about what she wanted to say and how to word it.

Eric looked up as Ariel entered his bedroom. It never failed to surprise him how often she just walked into the room so silently. He sat up and smiled at her. "Your dad seems cool considering you've been kidnapped in the last twenty-four hours."

Ariel nodded, not really listening to his words. She was too busy thinking about her own. Was she doing the right thing? Only his reaction would tell. She held the notebook out for him to take.

He studied her expression and took the notebook immediately. Wasting no time, he started to read. "_I can't really go out anywhere in town, but there is this beautiful lagoon-like place off the beaten path that I'd love to show you. My mother took me there a lot when I was small. I think you'll like it there too. We can rent a rowboat there at the dock and just drift a while. It's a chance to be alone. Something I doubt we'll be getting here." _Unable to think of a worthy response, he simply set the notebook down and stood up. He took her hand in his and smiled softly. "Agreed."

She smiled back, looking down at his hand. She'd definitely made the right choice. She thought of something and quickly wrote it down, showing him her thoughts.

He glanced at her response quickly and nodded. "So I don't need anything then? No cash? No car? Just house keys?"

She nodded the affirmative and began to drag him out the bedroom door, her eagerness overtaking her normally calm demeanor. If they started walking now, they could reach the lagoon within the hour.

Laughing, Eric let her lead him down the hall and out the front door, then he stopped. "Wait. We should take something for you to write on." He stepped back inside the house and ran to get the notebook and pen from where they had left it on his bed. He returned, notebook in his hand, and locked the door. "Alright. Lead the way."

Seated in the mild darkness of her aunt's common-room, seventeen year old Vanessa Rancroft idly stared at her brand new manicure while she waited. The mood lighting was beginning to bother her and she was exceptionally bored. Where in all that was holy was her aunt anyways? She'd been sitting in this dark room for near on an hour and still the woman had not shown.

"Nessa, Dear. So very sorry for the wait. I had some last minute business to tend to." Ursula announced as she entered the room, a bottle of wine in her hands. "How's your father? He never did return my calls last week. And your dear mother? Is she on her feet yet?"

Vanessa cocked her head, staring at her aunt. Since when did this woman ever ask about her mother? According to Aunt Ursula, her mother was "a wine-guzzling, floozy with loose legs and a tight bank account". She sat back in the leather chair and crossed her long legs. "Both mother and father are doing fine. Now, why am I here?" She might be young, but simple she was not. She knew her aunt well enough to know that the woman only asked her to dinner to either celebrate something or offer her a bribe for some form of help. Since it was neither her nor her aunt's birthday that left a favor. "Well, out with it, Auntie Dearest. What do you want me to do now?"

Ursula took her time uncorking the wine bottle and getting two glasses from the wet bar at the other end of the room. She poured the fine red liquid into the clear glasses very slowly, thinking about how she was going to get her niece on board with her newest plan. It was true that Nessa could be counted on, but there was always a price. Last time, the girl demanded a forty thousand dollar vacation package to France. There was no telling what it would be this go round. "Nessa, are you still seeing the Hansfort boy?"

Vanessa watched her aunt as the woman walked over and handed her a glass of wine. "…No. He was a bore. And rather cheap. I tired of him quickly. Why?"

Ursula smiled, sipping her wine as she sat down on the sofa. "There's a rather handsome boy vacationing here for the summer. He's from the states and is sole heir to some pretty massive funds. I do believe you two could hit it off very well. And boring, my darling niece, he is most assuredly not."

Vanessa listened, her inquisitive nature getting the better of her. "What's he an heir too, exactly?"

Ursula sipped more wine before responding. "Blue Pearls."

Vanessa nearly sputtered red wine all over her aunt's pristine white carpet. She quickly recovered herself. "Blue Pearls? As in the number one yacht-charter business in the world?"

"Correct. His name is Eric. I was able to find out where he is staying, but it's a gated community so you'll have to gain his interest and trust first." Ursula stopped. "One final thing, Nessa. Be wary of a pretty little red-head who's staying with him."

Vanessa sat up, setting her glass down on a conveniently placed coaster. She brought her slightly darkened, blue eyes to her aunt. "By wary I assume you mean you want me to crush all hope this girl has at being with this boy? I'll agree, in exchange for two hundred grand and a plane ticket to Texas."

Ursula raised a brow, studying her niece carefully. "Whom or what is located in Texas?"

Vanessa smiled back at her aunt. "Just a really good friend who recently broke it off with his fiancée."

Ursula set her empty wine glass on the table. "And you're such good friends you feel it is vitally necessary to go and comfort him in his time of crisis?"

"Something like that." Vanessa smiled.

"I always knew you should have been my little girl." Ursula patted her niece's knee. "There's so much of me in you, it makes me so proud to be your aunt. I accept your terms, on one condition."

Vanessa nodded. "Which is?"

"I want you to completely destroy this girl's connection to this boy. I care little for how you accomplish it; just make it painful and lasting." Ursula stood up and took the wine glasses into the adjoining kitchen.

Vanessa followed her aunt. "Why exactly do you detest this girl so very much?"

Ursula looked up from cleaning the glasses. "Her father is the man who cheated me out of that prime real estate years back."

Knowing exactly what and who her aunt was speaking of, Vanessa nodded. "Consider everything taken care of. Good night, Aunt Ursula."

Ursula nodded. "Good night, Nessa Dear. Do keep me informed of your progress." She moved to the kitchen table and picked up the manila folder resting there. "You'll need this." She handed the folder over. "Make Auntie proud, Darling."

Vanessa took the folder with a coy smile. "Don't I always?"

Eric watched as the sun began to sink below the horizon turning the sky a muted pink-orange. He and Ariel had been taking turns rowing for about an hour and half. She hadn't written any kind of conversation, so they simply drifted in silence. He continued to row, wondering what the beautiful red-head sitting across from him was really thinking.

He turned his attention to his surroundings. The water was a soft purple-blue and perfectly calm. There were these beautiful, old trees lining the way with all kinds of birds making song while hidden in the branches. In the last twenty minutes or so, a gentle breeze had come up and caused Ariel's long hair to banner out behind her.

As they drifted, he noticed it was getting darker on the water, but remained the same in the sky. Curious, he looked around. The rowboat was drifting under a lush canopy of those large, over-hanging trees that had lined the bank. The spot was secluded and quiet.

Ariel sat opposite Eric wishing she could speak. She'd chosen to bring him here because of the quiet surroundings and peaceful sense of reflection that always got people to talk about things they tended to keep mum about. Though, in hind-sight, maybe expecting to have a genuine talk had been a bit ridiculous on her part. After all, she still had no voice.

Unsure what to do, she sighed and stared at the oars. If he didn't say something soon she liable to deck him out of annoyance. How much clearer did she need to make herself? She'd brought him out here so they could talk in a place where no one would bother them. So why wasn't he saying anything?

"…Ariel?" Eric said her name softly, not really sure where he was planning to take this. He sat back a little and studied her. Her unbound red hair was lifted off her shoulders because of the breeze and her brilliantly blue eyes were open wide in wonder, but she wasn't looking his way. He took in his own t-shirt, thinking how something so manly suddenly seemed so very feminine in his eyes. The fabric clung to all the right places, in all the right ways and the length covered evidence of her shorts. He'd been right about her legs too. They were long and tanned, her toenails neither polished nor manicured.

At the sound of her name, Ariel looked his way. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he was in the suppressed light. His black hair was even more wind-swept than she recalled, most likely due to the breeze that occasionally came through. His piercing blue eyes were set on her and she had the suspicion they had been for a very long time. In her thoughts, she answered a soft "yes" to his call.

When she finally lifted her eyes to his, Eric felt compelled to lean forward and take her hand in his. He sat there a second weighing the choice of whether or not it was a good time to try a kiss. His brain was still going over the pros and cons even as his lips brushed against hers. She didn't pull back, but she didn't return the lip-lock either. She seemed almost nervous to him. Could this possibly be her first kiss? Well, if it was then he intended to make it very memorable. He moved his hand up to her face, curving his palm over her cheek as he softly kissed her again.

All her other thoughts melted away when he put his hand to her face like that. Ariel could feel her body relaxing at his warm touch and she savored the experience. She let go of everything else and focused on the kiss. It wasn't just her first kiss; there was so much more to it than that. This sensation, this intense need to be in Eric's arms, she had not anticipated any of it. Absently, she leaned forward desperate to keep the kiss going.

The rowboat bumped into a large tree root that hunched over the surface of the water and the connecting blow caused the tiny craft to lurch dangerously from side to side. Eric broke the kiss and took hold of the edge of the rowboat to try and steady it, but it was too late. The left side dipped down under the surface and lagoon water spilled into the little boat just before the entire thing capsized.

"You okay?" Eric asked as he pulled Ariel to her feet.

She nodded, grinning back at him. She found their predicament amusing.

"Oh no…" He remembered the notebook and pen that been in the rowboat and glanced around the water for it. He didn't see it anywhere. "I think we lost your notebook."

She shrugged. Right now, her notebook was the last thing on her mind. She moved closer to him, holding his gaze.

He smiled. "Let's push the boat onto that bank there and sit for a while. You mind?"

She shook her head "no" and then proceeded to take hold of the overturned rowboat and pull it toward her.

He laughed and jumped right in.

Together they got the rowboat onto the little landmass and managed to rescue the two oars. Then, they sat down on the sweet smelling grass and laid back to relax. The bank was on a slight incline so they could turn their heads to see each other and still managed to be at eye-level. Neither one of them wanted to move for a few minutes, so they laid there side-by-side in silence and listened as the water lapped at the edge of the bank. Unbeknownst to each other, both parties were reliving the kiss they had just shared and seriously considering another try.

Ariel quietly studied the rich variety of blossoms that were embedded in the canopy above this portion of the lagoon and closed her eyes.

Eric smiled at her reaction to the scenery and turned on his side, leaning onto his elbow so that he was kind of hovering above her. "What you thinking about?" He inquired, knowing very well she could not answer him.

Hearing the question, Ariel opened her eyes and smiled. She was looking directly into his baby blues. He'd shifted while her eyes were closed. She started to sit up but he placed his free hand on her torso to stop her. Even though she trusted him wholeheartedly, her recent experiences caused a flicker of doubt and worry to play on her features.

He noted her reaction to his hand carefully before saying or doing anything else. He didn't want to scare her, or make her feel uncomfortable in any way. After a moment, her expression softened and her body relaxed again. Certain she was all right with everything; he kissed her again then pulled back. "Is this okay?"

She nodded, leaning up to kiss him again. This was more than okay, it was actually welcome. Well, provided he didn't go too far too soon. But something told her he wouldn't even try. She could tell he was very much the fabled gentleman that was so rarely seen anymore. Everything about him screamed respectful of women, and that made her that much more at ease in his presence.

He allowed the hand on top of her shirt to slide down toward the hem. He curled his fingers over the fabric and slipped his hand under it, placing it right back where it had originally been. He waited for her reaction to his hand on her bare skin as he varied the pressure of his lips against hers.

His touch was oddly hot against her soaked stomach considering his hands should have been cold too. It made Ariel shiver a little from the sudden temperature change, but she didn't want him to remove the hand. She kissed him back with a sense of abandon she never knew she had. Her hands took to moving slowly along his arms when he shifted again to make their bodies parallel with each other.

As the make-out session began to intensify, it was all Eric could do to keep his hands in innocent places. He had the feeling that if he slipped up he wouldn't be able to stop and he knew that she wasn't ready for anything like that this soon. But he wasn't about to lie to himself either. He was enthralled by this girl and his senses were going haywire as they kissed. For the first time in his life, he could understand why his father and mother had made the mistake that they had so very soon after meeting one another. But, all-be-damned if he was going to follow in his parent's footsteps in that regard. He could, and would, control himself.

A whisper of a moan escaped Ariel's lips as Eric pulled away from the kiss. His hand had never moved north or south, but he had taken to circling her flesh with his fingertips and she was relishing that action. She opened her eyes, surprised to find them closed, and held his gaze. She wanted to be able to tell him what she was feeling but as magical as their make-out session had been, she was still voiceless and more ticked off about it than ever.

Without a word, Eric traced the curve of her neck with the back of his knuckles, smiled, and reluctantly moved away from her. He took a few minutes to compose himself, and then sat up. "We should start heading back. It's bound to be pretty dark by now."

Ariel nodded, sitting up as well. As much as she wanted stay in this location, alone with him, she knew he was right. They could always start again later, but for now their passion needed to be put on ice while they returned the rowboat and walked back to the rented beach house. She smiled at him and got to her feet, wading into the lagoon. Getting the rowboat back to the rental shack was the new priority.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- Okay, first off let me apologize for how unbelievably boring most of this chapter turned out to be. I re-wrote it five times, but each version just got worse. I promise the remaining chapters will be on par with my usual "greatness". I've just been dealing with a lot and I think it's hindering my writing. Secondly, there is a quote in this chapter. Thirdly, one of my loyal readers has requested that I do a modern version of TLM2 as well. I am still debating if I will accept or not. What do you all think? Could I pull it off? And lastly, at the close of this story I will be starting my next Going Modern story for the Disney films. If you like my work, I encourage you to check out the other stories in the series as well. And as always, Read, Review and Enjoy. -Jas

Chapter 8-

Hours into the night, Ariel watched the water crest the sand and fall back. She studied the deep purple hints of color, the soft greens of the underwater world beneath the calm waves. She could imagine hundreds of fish swimming about, their wide eyes intent on nothing but their need to keep moving forward.

The breeze fell over her face, cooling her cheeks as she stood alone on the balcony overlooking the back portion of Eric's temporary residence. She'd been unable to concentrate on anything since her and Eric's sensual and, still so innocent, encounter at the lagoon. All night long she'd relived that moment, imagining it differently each time. She could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers, the comfort of his embrace. And she wanted desperately to be able to tell him her thoughts, to let him inside her soul. But, as always, she remained mute.

As her mind drifted to her immediate troubles, she watched Eric exit the house and walk along the beach. He seemed to be mulling over something. His head was bent, his eyes cast downward toward the sand. Oh, how she longed to make vocalizations! She'd call to him in a playful manner. Something like… "Dearest, Prince!" or maybe even… "Won't you come to my bedchamber?" Her brilliant blue eyes danced with the idea and she smiled.

She turned her attention back to Eric's silhouette just in time to catch him staring up at her. Flattered, and feeling rather like a child let loose after a long confinement, she ducked back inside and grabbed the fork off her empty plate. She stepped back out onto the balcony and waited for him to look back up. She knew he would.

Down a ways from the house, Eric leaned against the railing of the little wooden bridge that separated the house's back yard from the actual beach. His gaze was trained on Ariel. Her pale blue t-shirt barely grazed her mid thigh and it was difficult to tell if she was wearing her trademark short-shorts. Truthfully, he imagined, and hoped, she was not. The lack of that one article of clothing made the image before him so much more intoxicating.

From the moment she'd showed up on the beach, this girl had exuded mystery. She could not speak, and she had told him nearly nothing of her most recent past, namely why she'd been kidnapped. He sighed.

"Still head-over-heels for the silent siren, hmm?" Aaron called out as he approached his friend. He stopped on the bridge. "Dude, seriously. Make a move or move on."

Eric didn't bother to look at Aaron when he answered. "I already did. Earlier tonight." His expression clouded when he saw Ariel retreat back into her room.

Aaron titled his head in surprise. "Aye, then start talking, Man. What happened?"

Eric smiled. "Enough for now."

Aaron crossed his arms, staring at his friend. "Oh come on! That tells me nothing." He raised his eyebrows even as he raised his gaze to the balcony in the distance. "You two haven't…?"

"What?" Eric blinked, taken aback. "No. The girl can't even hold a conversation with me right now; of course I'm not going to attempt to sleep with her." He leveled his gaze at the slightly older boy. "Do I seem like that's what I'm after?"

"Uhh…" Aaron shuffled his feet. "Well…" He shrugged. "…Sometimes…"

Eric balked. "When?" He noticed something shiny glinting in the night and he turned back to see Ariel standing on the balcony and combing her hair. He blinked and squinted a little bit. She was not using a typical comb. She was using a fork.

In her own little world, Ariel hummed her favorite tune inside her head as she continued to comb her long red tresses with a common dinner fork. She knew she looked ridiculous, but that was the point. She wanted to make Eric laugh. Really laugh. She smiled brightly as she met his gaze, her hand coming forward to wave at him unbidden.

"Eric? Are you listening to me?" Aaron shook the other boy's shoulder in an attempt to get his wavering attention.

Eric looked back. "Sorry. What?" He laughed heartily. "Look up." He nodded in the direction of the house.

Aaron obliged and cracked up laughing. "Is she really combing her hair with a fork?" He doubled over, tears coming to corners of his eyes. "She looks ridiculous." He kept laughing. "But it's so funny!"

Across the island, Triton Waters and his other daughters sat together in his office at the restaurant. Sebastian was also present. According to the night watchman, there had been several break-in attempts in the last two days.

"But, Father. What is there to steal?" Aquata asked.

Triton sighed from his seat. "Everything, my daughter. They could take anything."

Arista sat up, her eyes on her sister Andrina. "Well, we're covered aren't we?"

Triton nodded. "Yes. For theft."

Aquata stiffened. "What do you mean, for theft? Are we not covered for anything else?"

Sebastian interjected. "Unfortunately, no. If de place was set afire, fer instance. We would lose ederyting."

Her mood greatly diminished, Ariel sat on her bed and stared at her bare feet. She couldn't escape her worry for her dad and sisters. She had less than two days left till Sunday. What was she going to do? She couldn't just hand over her dad's deed to the restaurant. But then, she couldn't just sit back and let that Ursula woman hurt her family, or Eric.

She punched her thigh in frustration and bit her lip. She might as well sleep. There was nothing she could do tonight anyway.

Like his red headed counter-part, Eric wasn't having much luck in the sleep department so he'd opted for a stroll on the beach. The moon shone strong, lighting his way, as he ambled along.

"Here I thought I was by myself in the love of the early morning walk on the beach." A distinctly sensual soprano voice caused him to turn around. He looked directly into the most mesmerizing brown eyes he'd ever seen, his breath catching in his throat.

Vanessa Rancroft adopted her favorite persona, mild mannered seductress, as she spoke to the boy before her. "I'm Vanessa." She extended her hand, her fingertips brushing over his palm instead of the traditional shake.

Eric smiled back at the mysterious girl. "Eric. What are you doing out here?"

Vanessa moved closer as she spoke. "Oh, I just felt like getting wet. There's nothing like getting wet on a moonlit night." She smiled. "Moonlight does wonders for a man where his woman is concerned."

He watched her, choosing not to think about the underlying meaning behind her words. "How so?"

She knelt down, trailing her hand against the water. The light breeze blew her white peasant dress against her legs, showing them off. "When the moon is bright and sky is dark, it creates this sensual atmosphere. Some girls don't get it, others do." She chose that moment to drop her voice to a forbidden husky growl. "Some girls get wild in the moonlight, Eric."

He ran his hand through his hair trying to get the better of his nerves. This girl was practically propositioning him and they'd only just met! He stepped away. "I really need to get back inside."

She stood up, following him. "We don't have to talk. I bet you like the silent types." She placed her palm on his arm. "The girls who only make…certain…noises…" She brought her eyes to his. "Am I right. Eric?

God, this was wrong. But he felt drawn to her somehow. Every time she whispered his name like that, he could feel his resolve plummet just a little more. Again, and to make a point, he backed away.

Vanessa was undeterred. She simply moved even closer. "I've been observing you for a while. I can't seem to look away."

Eric sighed. "I really do need to go." He turned to leave.

"Wait…" She laid her hand on his upper arm. "Hear me out and I'll let you be."

Suspicion crept in as he nodded his consent. "Alright."

Vanessa stepped forward, locking her hand on his shoulder. Before he had a chance to react, she threw her arms around Eric's neck and kissed him. She pulled out all the tricks for the lip lock. She suckled his lips, teased his tongue, and breathed hot air into his mouth. In all, the kiss lasted thirty seconds before he broke it off.

Eric stepped back, shaken. Part of him was furious; the rest of him was turned on something fierce. "Stop."

Vanessa smiled, moving up against him again, and kissing his neck. "Oh…Eric…" She whispered into his ear. "I'm not one for commands…"

A sudden gasp escaped Ariel's lips when she walked out onto the balcony to call Eric back inside. There he was…and he was with another girl. He was kissing another girl. Suddenly, she felt ill. Her stomach dropped to her feet as she staggered backward in shock. How could he? How…could…he?

"You've been spotted." Vanessa tossed out casually as she stepped back. Her timing was beautiful. She turned her attention to the house in the distance, addressing him with a lilt in her tone. "Awww. Someone's heartbroken…"

"What?" Eric snapped his head up and saw the shadow of Ariel's retreating silhouette. Shit! Had she seen this exchange? He looked back to Vanessa, his blue eyes cold as stone. "Get away from me." He took off running toward the house, his sandaled feet making scuffling noises against the weathered wood of the bridge. He had to get back and explain!

Inside her room, Ariel tearfully slipped out of her night shirt and pulled on her green short shorts and her purple bikini top. She had to get out of here! She couldn't face him. She ran down the stairs and out the front door leaving everything behind.

Eric burst into her empty room moments later, white knuckles clutching the door knob. He looked around frantically. "Ariel!...Ariel!" She was already gone.

Agitated and grumpy, Grimsby flung his bedroom door open. "What the devil, Son?"

Eric called back as he descended the stairs. "Ariel's gone!"

Grimsby blinked, trying to tie his robe around himself. "Eric, where are you going?"

Downstairs, and hanging by the front door, Eric was checking a flash light. "I lost her once, Grim! I'm not gonna lose her again!"

There was a moment silence and then front door slammed shut, leaving a confused and worried Grimsby alone calling "Eric!" out to an empty house.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N- Well, first off, a little warning. This chapter showcases a lot of M rated material, as will the beginnng of chapter 10. Secondly, there are two quotes to be found. Thirdly, this is a very long chapter so if you plan to read it in fifteen minutes before school, or before work, plan otherwise because you will not make it and stopping in the middle will drive you crazy. Well, assuming I've done my job right, that is. I promised a brilliant chapter on par with the rest of my story, though I have to wonder if I might have actually surpassed my usual 'greatness'. You all will have to let me know. And lastly, in response to the curious readers wondering what Disney story I am re-creating next, it is down to Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast (which has been overdone), and Sleeping Beauty. Personally, I am leaning toward Aladdin because that is my favorite Disney film and I have a wicked new take on the story whirling around in my brain. But, ultimately, loyal readers, the choice is yours. Whichever story gets the most votes is the one I will write, or is that re-write, next. Thus, it goes without saying- You all have to start reviewing more!- Now back to our little mermaid and her prince... Read, Review, and Enjoy!- Jas

Chapter 9-

Eric ran along the paved streets of the high-end residential neighborhood, his blue eyes wide and scanning every little thing for any sign of the petite red-head he was chasing after at two in the morning. He had spent the last thirty minutes rounding every corner street, checking every single open garage, and still Ariel was not to be found. He stopped cold, his shoes disrupting some loose gravel, and listened to the quiet night. Something was not right.

He turned around, drowning his closest surroundings in the flashlight's beam. There was a little white, half-starved, dog staring at him from its perch on the sidewalk. The animal's yellow eyes followed his every move. He passed the beam of light over the rest of the space, making himself aware of everything he saw as best as he could, then continued walking.

He headed back toward the lagoon thinking maybe she had run to the last place where she had felt truly comfortable. It looked a lot different under the glow of a full moon. The enchanting trees of the early night had turned to threatening, swaying beats and the calm, beautiful water had turned black. Surely she had not come back here. He shook his head and headed back to the beach house, worry etched on his face and anger at himself flooding his veins.

Marcus Jetsam sat silently behind the wheel of the little power boat he'd been using to take a lap around the outskirts of the island, following the trail of Ariel Waters from the sea while his co-worker followed by land. From their combined surveillance, it appeared that the target was running toward the other end of the island, the strip to be exact. Her father's restaurant was located on the strip. Could that be her destination? He continued to watch her progression as she ran along the shore, her long bare legs attacking the sand with unbarred aggression, her head bent down, her… He shook his head to get a hold of himself. There was no time for those kinds of thoughts. He sighed and reached for his cell phone as it went off.

"News?" Ursula Rancroft sat in repose on her living room sofa. Her tone was warm, but that was deceptive. In truth, she was entertaining the idea of a double homicide. Though, she did really have a fondness for Marcus. Perhaps, just he should live after all. It would depend on his work over the next twenty-four hours.

She listened silently as her underling disclosed all his information. Once he was finished, she spoke with a cold sensual-ness, her very words seducing and threatening simultaneously. "Oh my, Jetsam Darling. Mommy's not happy. Your considerable skills have yet to be proven. Please, Sweet, do not cause me to terminate our relationship. I am so found of you, after all." She let him make his reply and then hung up, tossing the cell phone onto a magazine that lay on her coffee table.

Ursula got her feet and headed down the hall to her bedroom. She kicked off her expensive heels and cursed in succession as she disrobed. Clearly, she was going to have to be there to see this operation through. She snatched a black trench coat off its hanger in her closet and slipped it over her bare shoulders, pulling her hair out from under the garment. She surveyed her look in the mirror that hung on the back of her bedroom door. It wasn't completely undesirable, but she felt a certain sense of contempt just the same. She would much rather be in a suit and heels, but considering what she might have to do, such attire was cumbersome at best. No; this coat and a good pair of black boots would do fine for the night ahead.

She went across the house, into her home office, and accessed the safe. She quickly removed the gun and the vial found there, slipping both into her left coat pocket. She shut the safe, making certain it locked, and headed out of the house. She had somewhere to be and at least one person to kill.

Ariel walked with staggering steps as she finally reached the beach access for the strip. The non-stop running had played havoc on her lungs and legs, but her heart's only pain was emotional. She sank down onto the lowest step of the stairs that led up the beach to the wooden bridge that connected the strip to the sandy shore. Her mouth was dry and her chest burned. She had to stop and rest, if only for a minute or two.

She sat on the stairs, her focus on the water before her. The waves were almost non-existent tonight. There was no sign of anything out there. She scanned the beach out of nervousness. She was alone.

After a few minutes of recovery, she found her footing again and walked over the bridge with a much slower pace. Her father's beautiful, white-washed building shone against the moon light as she approached the restaurant. The rest of the strip was dead silent. She passed by the front window of a hardware store and blinked. For a split second she could have sworn there was another person hanging back behind her. But the only reflection in the window was hers.

She stared at the image in shock. She was practically naked! Had she honestly been so upset that she had raced out of Eric's house in nothing but a bikini top and short-shorts? She was mortified. She stepped back from the window and turned her back on the offensive picture. Once she made it to the restaurant she would borrow the sweatshirt Andrina always left in their dressing room. She sighed, heading down the strip with an ambling gait.

When Eric opened the front door to the beach house, Grimsby greeted him with a wary gaze. The older man ushered his younger charge inside the house and took the flashlight out of his hand. "Sit down, Son." He led the boy into the common room and directed him to the sofa. "I take it you were unsuccessful at finding the young lady?"

Eric nodded. "I don't know where else to look, Grim." He stared at the table in front of him. That was table he'd sat on as he watched her sleep the very first time he'd brought her home. Brought her home? God, he sounded like she was a dog who had gotten off-leash and run away from her master. Ariel was certainly no dog. She was a bright, funny, beautiful, intelligent girl whom he was absolutely terrified to lose. She was nothing like anyone he had ever met.

"Is he alright?" Aaron stood beside Grimsby, his finger pointed toward the comatose-looking Eric on the sofa.

Grimsby gave a moderate shrug in response. "I am not certain." He turned to look at Aaron and furrowed his brows. "You had ample time to place a robe, or clothes, about your person, young man."

Aaron glanced down to his red and blue, plaid boxers. "Oh. Sorry, old man. I keep forgetting we have a female guest."

Grimsby bristled at the additive of 'old man', but his primary concern was for James Davis's only child. "Eric?"

Eric heard them both, but refused to respond. He sat there on the sofa mentally beating his self up for not knowing the girl well enough to guess her next move. He should have read her comments more carefully, retained what she had told him better. There had to be something!

"What the hell!" and "By Heaven!" were respectfully expressed by Aaron and Grimsby as the booming, slapping sound of Eric's palm on the coffee table shocked them.

Eric hit the table again before standing up and heading to the back, sliding, glass doors. He hadn't found Ariel in the neighborhood because she had doubled back and jumped the nearest house's fence and taken off down the beach! It had been staring him the face the whole time! Of course she would opt for the beach over a road. Hell, she might have even swum some of the way!

He wrenched the door open and stepped out onto the grass. Max looked up from where he lay on an over turned lounge chair. He nodded to the dog and the animal immediately got its feet ready to follow. He smiled, patting his thigh to call his four-legged friend to his side as he headed down the backyard to the wooden bridge.

"Wait!" Grimsby held Aaron's arm tightly as the boy started to follow his friend.

"Why?" Aaron barked at the older man by accident.

"Because your attire is not of the right kind for such a venture." Grimsby slid the door back into place. "And frankly, young man, I believe you would cause more harm than good."

Taken aback, Aaron just gaped at the older man. "That's harsh."

Outside, Eric was making excellent progress along the beach with Max keeping pace beside him. The pair half walked, half ran for a long time before a development halted their movements entirely. They had come to the same outcropping where he had first found Ariel and his world had taken a turn. He stopped and looked around. There was the same rock where he had found her. He walked over to it and pressed his palm to the cold stone. At his heels, a confused Max waited patiently for his master's next suggestion.

Eric looked down to the dog, bending to pet him affectionately. "You have her scent right? Can you find Ariel, boy?"

As if comprehending the boy's question, Max barked and took off running ahead of him. Eric quickly followed without a word. He had every faith in his dog's abilities and instincts. Max was very capable.

Ariel checked all around the property before taking a brick from a nearby crumbling fence and breaking the window that led into the storage room of the restaurant. She carefully slipped her hand through the broken glass and unlatched the window without much trouble. She pushed the unlocked window up till it clicked into place and then crawled through the open space. After righting herself, she lowered the window back down.

She looked around her to gain her bearings and let her eyes adjust to the near pitch-black of the storage room. If the window was directly opposite the door, and the light switch was to the left of the door it seemed the easiest way to get here to there was walk straight ahead. She took slow steps, holding her arms out in front of her body just in case. She hadn't been inside the storage room in a few months; the stage hands could have moved things around.

She reached the door handle without incident and pulled open the door, which she knew would be unlocked. The storage room was always unlocked. It was company policy. She stepped out into the back hall that led to the kitchen and moved in that direction as quietly as she could. The kitchen's double swinging doors opened without a sound as she entered the room and crossed the space to get to the entrance to the dining area. Now she needed light. There were so many things glued to the dining room floor that she couldn't remember a clear path from one side to the other.

She flipped on the kitchen light for about half a minute and analyzed the room for the quickest and best route to the stage minus any glued fixtures. She flipped the switch to the off position and followed the path she had memorized just then. The stage curtain still hung between the backstage area and the audience's viewpoint, so she had to find the break between the panels and slip through it.

She ran toward the girls' dressing room, her bare feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor of the stage. The room was unlocked and she left the door ajar so she could exit quickly. She walked into the room and flipped on the light. Everything looked the same. Her red wig was lined up with the rest of her sisters' wigs along the shelf above the rack that held their mermaid bras and tails. And there was Andrina's sweatshirt!

She crossed the small room, nabbed the sweatshirt, and proceeded to pull it over her head. The unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps didn't reach her ears till she'd already turned her back to the door. Forgetting the sweatshirt, she whirled around.

Marcus Jetsam stood in the doorway of what looked like a typical stage dressing room. He saw the wigs and mermaid costumes and the wall of mirrors. But the true object of his interest was the half dressed, skittish, teenage girl that stared back at him in horror. "I suspect you never thought to see me again, did you?"

Ariel froze.

Marcus laughed, shutting the door and closing the space between them with long strides. When he was ten feet from her, he stopped and pulled one of the dressing room's chairs out into the center of the room. He sat down, facing her.

Ariel watched him with a sense of misplaced curiosity. She should have been trying to run, but all she could do was wait for his next move.

Marcus lifted his gun onto his knee, showing it off. "I brought backup this time." He patted the gun's sleek frame. "I really do not want to shoot you. The last thing I want to do is damage your appearance."

Ariel's blue eyes darkened in hue as she stepped back.

He laughed at her. "I really do not understand why you are so shy. You're most becoming and I'm certain your publicity shots are masturbatory aids to many young men, and probably a handful of older men too. I know I have found great satisfaction in your surveillance." His charming smile began to edge on calculating as he continued to talk, keeping his eyes on her. "Of course, you in the flesh is a thousand times better than any manufactured image. But, I do love your mermaid costume. In fact, I want you to put it on. In front of me. Right now." To emphasize his directions, and his ability to end her life in an instant, he brandished his gun.

Ariel's eyes focused on the gun for a long time. She did not want to undress for this sicko, but she did not want to die either. She still had to stop Ursula's scheme. Maybe, if she distracted him with her clothing removal, she could escape. It was her only shot this time. There was nothing heavy enough to the slam down on his head, except for the rack holding all the costumes. Maybe if she made it lighter she could shove it toward him.

Marcus sat patiently in the chair, gun in hand. "You may start at any time."

Ariel walked over to the rack and retrieved her purple, decorated bra. She turned her back to him and untied the strings that held her bikini top in place. The half of a swimsuit dropped soundlessly to the floor. She started to position the costume bra on her breasts when his newest directive made her wince.

"Turn to me. I've seen your back more than I care to. My interest is trained on your front." Marcus stated his demand in a conversational tone and smiled as the girl slowly pivoted. He held her eyes for a moment to assert his authority and then let his gaze travel. He took his time, savoring the arousing sight of her young-girl's unmarked, unmarred breasts that gravity had yet to acquire. He watched her as she slipped her tanned arms into the armholes of the purple, sparkly, bra and then fastened it behind her back. He sat up straighter as she bent over to adjust herself into the bra. "Now the rest."

Feeling unbelievably dirty, Ariel brought an image of Eric to her mind. If there was, or should that be had been, one guy on this earth who she felt comfortable changing in front of it was Eric. But thinking about him brought back the reason she'd run in the first place. He had kissed another girl! Right in her line of vision! After making-out with her just mere hours before! But then, she had to be honest with herself, if this was Eric sitting in that chair she would be more than willing to comply with his wishes. Damn love to Hell! He had hurt her and still she was unable to say no to him!

Marcus noticed the furrowed brow of his prisoner as she stopped mid-removal. "Continue." Her thoughts were not his concern. She could think anything she liked so long as he got his show.

The one-word order snapped Ariel's thoughts away from Eric and she resumed her actions. She slipped off her short-shorts and reached for the mermaid tail.

Marcus made a come-hither gesture. "I said everything."

Ariel's arm hung in the air. There was no fucking way she was going commando for this bastard's pleasure! He got blow a bullet straight into her chest in he wanted, but she was not removing another bit of clothing! She dropped her arm and then joined them both across her chest.

Marcus's expression darkened. "It is not wise to test me. Remember how that went last time? This time, I'm more than willing to go all the way. I'm headed to jail just the same, may as well make the incarceration worth it." He stood up, kicking the chair backward. "Now. Take them off. Or I will do it for you." He took a step in her direction. "And then I will do a whole lot more."

Paralyzed with terror, Ariel stared back at the older man as he came closer. Her vibrant blue eyes were wide and almost cold. Now would be a damn good time to scream. True, no one would actually hear her, but it would startle him long enough for her to run. She opened her mouth as he took five more steps toward her.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Vince Flotsam looked from one occupant of the room to the other. "Damn it, Marcus! We don't have time for this shit!"

Visibly angered by the interruption, Marcus wheeled around. "I say we do! Shut that goddamn door!"

Vince fired back a slew of colorful phrases and slammed the door, leaving them alone together.

Marcus turned back to face Ariel. "He gets edgy when it comes to finishing his jobs on time. But since Ursula gave you till Sunday, he can wait a little longer. It's just Saturday morning after all. About 3 or 4 A.M. I think."

Ariel had taken the distraction to her advantage and started to remove all the costumes from the rack. So far, three of them were lying on the floor behind her. It didn't seem like her potential rapist even noticed as he moved toward her. But was that going to be enough to move the rack? She needed it to be enough! Throwing the rack at him was her only chance!

Marcus took the final steps over to the girl, stopping less than a few inches in front of her. "It looks like I'm doing it for you." He grabbed her by the shoulder. "It's nice that you can't scream. It saves me from having to use a hand to cover your mouth."

There was no word in existence that could have described how Ariel felt when his strong hands gripped her shoulders. Terror meant nothing. Horror was closer to the truth, but it too fell flat. She fought against his pull, curling her fingers around the bars of the costume rack so tight her knuckles went white, matching the rest of her body.

Marcus paid no attention to the girl's desperate actions; he lifted her off the floor and yanked her backward without breaking a sweat. The metal-plated clothing rack inched backward with them. Her grip was unbroken. She was strong; he could admire that. But he was built for labor, could lift weights a hundred pounds heavier than her entire body, and as a man it was proven fact that he was physically stronger. She could challenge him all she wanted, but he was going to get what he wanted regardless. He yanked her backward a second time, pressing her stomach in at the same time.

Tears escaped Ariel's squinted eyes as the pain of Marcus's pressurized hold began to get to her. Marcus; she had remembered his name. Well, Marcus was not going to win! She bit her lip against the pain that shot through her arms and torso and re-tightened her already white-knuckled grip on the bars of the costume rack. It moved with them as he tried once again to dislodge her from it.

Regrouping his strength for a third time, Marcus's carnal desire joined with his competitive nature as he yanked the girl backward one more time. It proved a winning combination. The girl's hands came free of the bars and he dragged her further back so that she couldn't reach anything else. His breath was heavy in his throat as he whispered into her ear. "I won."

Ariel's determination to get away from him was going to lead her to do the one thing she had never expected to do in a million years. The very concept disgusted her! She allowed her body to go limp in his arms.

Momentarily surprised, Marcus relaxed his hold on the girl as her body let go of all the built-up tension from their battle for dominance. He turned her around in his arms like a child turning a doll. She stared back at him with a completely comatose gaze. Her eyes reflected his silhouette, but she did not see him. He pressed a hand to her face, his palm on her cheek. "Ariel?" All the aggression and sexual desire drained from his body as he looked into her soulless expression. "Ariel!"

Just then, the door to the room was flung open. Vince stumbled into the room, dropping to his knees. Behind him, Ursula Rancroft stood in the doorway. She tapped her freshly manicured nails against the wooden door frame and surveyed the dying man with a sickening smile of erotic ecstasy. "I always told him that those cigarettes would kill him one day." She kicked the fresh corpse to check for life, and satisfied there was none she walked over the dead man's back to get inside the room.

Marcus watched his villainous vixen enter the room and he had to grin at her style. "You laced them at dinner, didn't you?" He forgot about the nearly naked teenager in his arms as his sexual drive surged for the woman before him.

Ursula nodded. "I see you were in the middle of something." She walked to his side, looking the barely dressed girl over with a momentary sign of empathy. "Sorry to disappoint you, Dearest Marcus, but your plans are suspended. I need you to dispose of Vince's body."

Marcus set the girl on the floor. "Yes, Boss." He dragged the corpse of his former co-worker out of the room and across the stage without a word.

Ursula picked up the gun on the floor, Marcus's favored weapon, and studied the young Waters girl. She loathed this girl down to every fiber of her being, and still she felt remorse for what Marcus could have done to her. "I know you're awake."

Ariel had listened to the entire exchange, keeping her gaze like a blind person. If Marcus had thought she wasn't there, it might have stalled him. Instead her savior turned out to be the woman hell-bent on ruining her father. Damn irony! She blinked and sat up.

Ursula smiled. "Our dear Marcus has given me an inspired idea. To your feet now. Go ahead and put the rest of the costume on." She checked the safety on the gun with a glance before playfully tossing it into the air and catching it again like a juggler throwing a ball.

Ariel slowly got to her feet and pulled her short-shorts back on before putting the heavy mermaid tail on. As before, it fit against her legs like the best curve-hugging pair of jeans. She leaned against the wall to keep from falling over. The weight of the tail was too much after her recent energy depleting fight.

Ursula continued to toss and catch Marcus's gun as she waited for him to return. "I realize our initial agreement was to allow you till Sunday, but my plan has been altered. I must leave tomorrow for conference in Milan. Our business needs to be finished by then."

Marcus re-entered the room, stopping to watch his beloved boss play with his gun like a cat playing with a ball of yarn. He moved up behind her, taking the gun from mid-air the next time she tossed it up. "Not that I am saddened by the development, but why are you here?"

Ursula laughed, a soft bedroom laugh, and pressed her palm against his shoulder. "I have to leave tomorrow. Whatever conclusion is to be, must be made now. I want her on the _Deceptive Nature_ in twenty minutes. I will meet you on the yacht."

Marcus watched the older woman leave, and then turned back to the younger girl. "I see I missed the rest of my show. Well, there is always on the yacht. Let's go."

Ariel pushed off the wall and took the required tip-toe steps forward. Her progress was very slow.

"We don't have time for this! If you can't walk, then I have to carry you." Marcus advanced toward her, catching her behind the knees and around the back. He lifted her into his arms with ease. "I still have a gun." He stated as he carried her out of the room, across the stage, down the back hall, and out the storage room exit door which had been jimmied open. He headed down the strip, toward the powerboat he had docked on the beach.

Eric stayed still and silent under the heavy black tarp in the powerboat. Max was several feet away, waiting on the wooden bridge. The dog had been told to bark when someone was headed his way. So far, no barking had disturbed the silence. He'd found the abandoned boat and was intent to leave it be when a picture had caught his eye. On the seat, tucked inside a manila envelope, were a bunch of pictures of Ariel including a publicity photo of her in her mermaid costume, literally, lying in the surf. That picture was the one on top that had caught his eye. He'd climbed into the boat and studied the contents of the envelope. There had been handwritten notes, pictures, a list of dates, and a CD.

Max's urgent, warning bark forced Eric's mind onto the present. Someone was coming! He went as immobile as a statue under the tarp and waited with drawn breath. The boat rocked a moment as someone pressed up against the edge. Then there was a heavy thud as the person threw something of great weight down into the boat. He heard scuffling and realized the something was alive. The boat rocked to one side again and then lurched forward. The owner was pushing it out into the water.

Marcus shoved the powerboat out into the ocean and let it drift a few feet before climbing up over the back and getting in. Ariel still sat where he had thrown her, but she was leaning against the left side of the boat. "I do not suggest you try anything." He waited a few more minutes for the boat to drift out away from the really shallow water and then he started the engine and steered the craft toward the open ocean. "I'm making the deadline with time to spare."

Ariel stared back at the beach as the form of the familiar sheep-dog became smaller and smaller. She'd recognized Max immediately, and clearly he her, but had had the intelligence to keep mum about her knowledge of the animal's presence. Marcus hadn't even taken a second look at the barking canine as he'd carried her past it. But the sight of the dog had gladdened her ten-fold. Eric was near! Perhaps even somewhere on the boat!

As the boat sped along, Eric's hiding place began to billow with the winds and he had to grab it and hold it down over him to keep from being discovered. But he'd noticed something in his scramble to keep covered, a tell-tale flash of red hair. Ariel was the thing that had been dropped into the boat!

Marcus made excellent time across the open water, the boat jumping as he went. He pulled up beside the back of the _Deceptive Nature_ and tied the powerboat to one of the metal mooring rings there. He yanked the girl to her feet and brought her into his arms once again. "I have to admit, I do love the mermaid fantasy." He carefully stepped over the side of the boat, onto the platform and then over the platform onto the actual back of the yacht. He carried the girl to the set of descending stairs and went down them very slowly, calling out as he did. "I'm here!"

Ursula answered him from her spot in the galley as she continued to prepare their dinner. "In the galley!" She went back to placing the roasted chicken, potato salad, steamed vegetables, and dinner rolls on each of the three plates before her on the counter.

Marcus stepped inside, the young girl still in his arms. "Dinner smells amazing."

Ursula smiled. "Anymore flattery, Jetsam, and I'll have to have my way with you." She took each full plate and set it on a silver serving tray. "Go to the eating area."

Marcus did as ordered, walking into the eating room and placing the girl in one of the six chairs surrounding the beautifully crafted cherry wood table. He sat down in a chair beside her.

Ursula came into the room, carrying the silver tray, and set it down on the table very gently. She put a plate of food in front of both Marcus and Ariel and then set the remaining one at the place beside Marcus. "A girl on each arm. Takes you back to your dashing youth days, no doubt." She removed the tray from the table and went back to the galley with it. She set three glasses, a two-liter of Diet Coke, and a bottle of her favorite wine onto the tray before carrying it back into the eating room. "Here." She set the blue glass in front of Ariel and the two wine glasses in front of herself and Marcus. Sitting down, she passed the Diet Coke down to the young girl. "You should never tell your hostess no. It's rude."

Completely confused, and absolutely starving, Ariel nodded and twisted the cap off the Diet Coke bottle. She poured it into the glass, recapped it, and then picked up the fork on her plate. Then, as common sense kicked in, she paused.

Marcus laughed, his fork laden with potato salad. "Relax, Ariel. She wouldn't poison your food." He took the bite to prove his point and swallowed without trouble, tucking the fork back into the potato salad for another round.

Ursula remained completely silent throughout the meal. She ate without comment, savoring every flavor. Finally, after the young girl seemed to get suddenly drowsy, she turned to Marcus. "I would of course, but I didn't. I emptied sleeping capsules into the Diet Coke bottle." She chuckled as Ariel's eyes closed. "Please catch her head before she face plants into my wonderful meal."

Marcus laughed, catching the girl just in time as she went unconscious. "Well played, Boss Lady! What shall we do now?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I intend to finish eating, and then I am going to sew her into the mermaid tail. You may finish eating as well. I insist upon it."

He grinned. "I adore how vicious you've become. What's the plan? Are you sending Triton's little mermaid to the bottom of the sea?"

"Precisely. But first, after I'm done sewing, we have ample time for some long-overdue play between the sheets. And perhaps even a shower." She took a bite of her chicken, chewing the meat in a way that brought attention to her jaw.

Just outside the doorway to the galley, Eric had plastered himself against the wall, listening to every single word with a growing sense of dread. These people planned to murder Ariel, and they were laughing about it. While they were busy getting busy, he would rescue her and take the powerboat back to island. But for now, he had to restrain himself. He was no good to Ariel if he got them both killed.

Marcus sat back in his chair, the roll in his hand. "So what really caused you to alter your plan? I know there is no conference. And you're killing the girl without the deed? What for?"

Ursula smiled. "I was able to locate the deed on my own. It's in my desk safely tucked into a blueprint canister along with the blue prints I had drawn up for my lounge. It seems that my niece was able to persuade one of the kitchen boys at the restaurant to steal the deed from Triton's personal office."

Marcus took a bite of the roll before replying. "By persuade, you mean she either blew him or rode him. That girl's growing up to be exactly like you, you know."

She sighed. "Yes, if you must be so vulgar. As for the other comment, I agree and could not be prouder. Nessa is becoming quite the woman."

Nessa? Eric stiffened. Nessa was a common abbreviation for Vanessa. Could it be? Had he been played from the beginning? That girl had been sent to cause a rift between him and Ariel! They had needed to get her away from him! He resisted the urge to hit the wall as his anger began to mount.

"Well, I've got some sewing to attend to. Would you mind carrying our young guest to my bedroom?" Ursula pushed her chair away from the table. "Hold that order. Take her to one of the guest rooms. That way, you don't have to carry her twice. I'd like to save your strength for myself." She bowed her head in farewell and took her plate to the galley, setting it in the sink. As she exited the galley, she stopped in the hallway and glanced around. For some ridiculous reason, she had a tingle running through her body. It was a tingle of anticipation she decided, heading down the hall to her bedroom to retrieve her sewing supplies.

Marcus picked the unconscious girl up once again and carried her to the guest bedroom closest to the stairs to the led back to the deck. "First bedroom!" He said as Ursula stepped out of her own bedroom, a little sewing carrying case in her perfectly manicured hands. He stepped aside for her, watching her walk past him and into the guest bedroom. Part of him wanted to watch her work, but he needed a quick shower before sharing a bed with his evil enchantress. She liked him clean, or else she got very un-agreeable.

Inside the little guest bedroom, Ursula had flipped Ariel over onto her stomach and was expertly ripping the zipper out of the mermaid tail. When she was done, she started sewing the two zipper-less halves together with perfect, tight, dainty stitches. She ran over each stitch about ten times to make the removing of the garment absolutely impossible without a blade to slit the stitches. Her work concluded, she rolled the girl back over onto her back, gathered her sewing supplies and the discarded zipper, and walked out of the little room.

She could hear the roaring of the shower jets as she entered her bedroom and set the sewing case down on the nightstand by her bed. Marcus would step out any moment. She stood up and went to her closet, removing her coat as she walked. She hung the coat on an empty hanger and quickly removed her pants and shirt. She reached into the closet for the black lace corset and panty set that she knew he had a soft spot for.

Eric slowly descended the stairs, certain it was safe. He'd heard the man shout Ariel's location and found the bedroom with no trouble. His breath caught as he stepped into the room. An unconscious Ariel was lying on the bed, dressed in her mermaid costume minus the red wig. She had been positioned so that one of her arms stretched out across the bed with an upturned palm while the other arm was crossed over her chest. Her head was bent toward her shoulders, tilted. She looked as if she had simply fallen asleep, which technically she had. He moved to the bed and sat down beside her. He had to wait till her heard the specific sounds associated with a man and woman behind a locked door before he could attempt to get Ariel back to the boat.

It was at least ten minutes before any sort of sounds came from the bedroom down the hall. But once they did, he was at attention. "Alright, come on." He had meant to be psyching himself up, but the reply he got served as a better amp-ramping than any speech he could have given himself.

Groggy, and feeling as if her head weighed a hundred pounds, Ariel had opened her eyes with a sense of scared confusion. But the only thing she saw was the back of a boy with windswept black hair, wearing a black t-shirt. Relief gave way to astonishment and both echoed over and over in her voice as she spoke for the first time in what seemed like a year. "…Eric…"

He turned his head at the sound. Her speaking voice was so beautiful. It was almost as sensual and inviting as when she sang. He smiled down at her. "Ariel."

Remembering her anger, she turned her face away from him. "I saw you kiss another girl."

His heart wrenched at the hint of pain in her words. "It was a set-up. This woman's niece. They needed to get us apart so they could get to you." When she continued to stare at the wall, he leaned down and tilted her chin toward him. When their eyes met, he smiled. "And I did not kiss her back."

Ariel held his gaze a moment, returned his smile, and then lifted her back off the bed. Her lips brushed his for an instant before a crashing sound caused her to freeze.

Eric froze too, praying that whatever had crashed was inside the bedroom occupied by the two criminals. When he heard no opening of a door, he let out his breath. "It's okay. But we have to go."

She shook her head. "No. You have to get out of here."

He took her hand. "No. I won't leave you."

She sighed. "You don't understand. I can't walk."

He nodded. "I know. I can carry you though."

She reached for his hand. "I know we haven't even known each other for a week yet, but I believe I'm falling in love with you."

He smiled, looking down to their joined hands. "You know, my dad slept with my mother the very hour they met. I was the result. They got married the next morning. She always said that I was the only mistake she never wanted to correct. For years, I didn't get it. How could my dad have just taken my mother to bed like that after nothing but a thirty minute chat out in some deserted hotel lobby?" He brought his eyes to hers. "The day I first saw you on stage, I was drawn to you. But it was the morning I found you on the beach that I understood exactly how my father had felt about my mother."

Ariel used the strength of his hold on her hand to pull herself up. She got into a sitting position and then fell against him, wrapping her arms around him for a hug. She smiled as she felt his arms come around her with that same protective assurance. She held on tight for an unmarked period of time, just content to hold him.

Eric used the hug to lift her into his lap so that when he stood up she would come with him. But for the time being he did not want to move. He just enveloped Ariel into his embrace, hugging her feminine curves against his masculine lines with strength of will never to let go.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- Did you all miss me? I am so sorry it took forever to get this last chapter done, but my life has been hectic the last few months. This is the final chapter for this story and it is very long. I admit this may well be one of the longest single chapters for a fanfic that I have ever written. As before, I suggest you wait until you have a lot of time on your hands before attempting to read this because it is going to drive you crazy if you have to stop before you reach the end. Now, I will be frank here. There are a few scenes that simply did not turn out the way I had planned, so don't be surprised if you suddenly find yourself momentarily confused, or even bored with certain spots. I re-wrote the thing ten times before I just gave up and let my characters lead me to where they wanted to go. So blame them. As for the game, there is one partial quote in the chapter so keep a close eye. I've been keeping tabs on your reviews and noted who is getting it right. After this last review, I will be sending a special "prize" to the reader I think won the game. If you are that person, I will contact you via email either directly, or through the email connection on here. Lastly, be sure to **read, review, and have fun**. -Jas

Chapter 10-

Aquata, Arista, Andrina, and Adella Waters stood in a line, their scantily clad bodies displaying various states of undress and their expressions grim as they stared at their father. Triton Waters stood off to the side with an attractive young cop about Adella's age. The two men were going over the break-in for the tenth time, their voices hushed. Clearly there was something the men did not want the girls to know, and that set their minds adrift with all the terrible possibilities that their considerable imaginations could conjure.

Finally, Aquata broke the silent staring. "Anyone else think Daddy is keeping something from us?" She moved away from the back wall of Triton's Palace and took a long look at the damaged window that led into the restaurant's storage room. "Someone breaks in, steals nothing, but ransacks our dressing room and then disappears."

Arista twisted her hair in thought. "Yeah…It seems like whoever was searching for something…"

Adella crossed her arms over her chest and idly tapped her fingers against her skin. She was convinced someone had been looking for something, but her heart told her it was not found inside their dressing room. "Besides the cash and our over-priced getups, what was there to steal?"

Andrina scoffed. "Anything not nailed down." She shook her head and ran her hands over her bare arms to combat the sudden chill she felt. Like her other sisters and their father, she had jumped out of bed to get here and was wearing nothing but her sleep clothes, a tank-top and a pair of ultra soft, blue velveteen pants. Her long hair was loose though, so it covered her back and gave off a little warmth.

Aquata snapped to attention, about to reprimand her younger sister when their father started walking her way. She studied his drawn mouth, tired eyes, and sorrowful gait. He had really bad news. "What's wrong, Father?"

Triton stopped in front of his four eldest daughters and shook his head. "They stole the deed. If I can't recover it, I lose the restaurant."

"Daddy!" Atina's shriek rocked the little circle as she ran over to them, her eyes wide and her hands shaky. "My God! Daddy…" She about fell into Aquata's arms panting and then took a moment to right herself before continuing. "There's a man… dogs fighting over his corpse…we heard the ruckus and I went to see…"

At the mention of a corpse, the young cop joined the group. He trained his Hershey-colored gaze onto the nearly hyperventilating girl. "Where is this corpse, Miss Waters?"

Atina looked up and felt her stomach drop to her toes. The cop was so handsome, his smile so beautiful. "Down the alley there." She started to point, and then placed her hand over his arm instead. "Come on, I'll show you." She led him away from the group without a word.

Adella clicked her tongue as her sister departed. She turned to her sisters. "That girl cannot keep her hormones in check at all."

The remaining girls laughed at the comment, easing the tension, and then turned back to their father. Aquata, Arista, Adella, and Andrina had no idea what to say.

Triton sighed, patting the daughter nearest him on her arm. "Things will work out, my pearls."

"Tritdon!" Sebastian Carson was pounding the pavement with his bare feet, his legs clad in a pair of gray sweat pants with the drawstrings hanging loose and his chest bare. A white t-shirt was balled up in his left hand. "I geest got da nus. Came az fast az I culd." He reached the group and stopped short seeing all the girls half-dressed. "Looks az doe you did too."

Triton smiled to his old friend and chuckled. "Aye, that we did. All but Ariel of course. She hasn't been notified yet."

Sebastian studied the man's expression closely before responding. "But where iz Allana?"

Arista piped up first. "She went to the mainland for the next few days to see Scott. Had the trip planned for months but wouldn't leave till we dragged her out to the ferry."

Triton jumped in then. "I'm not calling her either. That girl needs some down time. There isn't anything she could do anyway. None of you girls really can do anything either. You should all go back home and get to sleep."

Aquata bristled. "Absolutely not!" She crossed her arms over her t-shirt. "The deed is missing, there's a dead guy in our alley, our dressing room looks as if a hurricane went through it, and our precious sister is batting her eyes at a cop five years her senior. We are going nowhere."

Everyone went quiet then. They all knew it was useless to argue with Aquata once she asserted her authority over something. They would all stay and get to the bottom of everything first, then call Allana and Ariel. Though in Ariel's case they would probably wait a bit longer to tell her the news because of all her own recent scrapes. It was better to let her be worry free for a little while longer.

Unbeknownst to her well-meaning sisters, however, Ariel was anything but worry-free. She was sewn into a mermaid tail, still woozy from being drugged by Ursula, and felt about as comfortable with her situation as a cat feels in a cage full of hungry German Sheppards. But being held by Eric was mellowing her terror to a faint ripple. She knew it was time to let go but she could not get her arms to cooperate because her heart was fighting her head. Sighing, she pulled back from their embrace, her newly restored voice reduced to a soft whisper. "We will finish later…"

Eric nodded, giving her a half-smile as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Count on that." He gathered his strength and stood up, pulling her with him. Neither said anything as he carried her over to the cabin door and she turned the knob, easing the door backward very quietly. The hall was silent, the smell of Ursula's home-cooked meal still lingering by the galley door. He stood in the doorway, listening.

Ariel glanced down the hallway toward the direction of where the crash had come from just a few minutes before. Even in the face of danger, her curiosity was teasing her imagination. What could have that crash been? A chair? A table? A…body? Considering the woman was a raging psychopath, any of those options was pretty plausible.

Inside the little cabin bedroom, Marcus Jetsam affectionately trailed his fingertips over Ursula's flawless, milk-white skin. "Sorry about the mirror…" He nearly purred into her ear, his voice descending into his trademark bedroom tone. He stepped closer to her, pressing her up against the frame of the broken mirror. "Mmm…"

Ursula Rancroft smiled back at the only man in the world who could hurt her and still make her beg for more. She titled her head, her white-blond hair snaking over her partially bare breasts as the black corset held them in its lacy grasp. Her eyes glittered with lust and she grabbed Marcus's shoulder, digging her perfect nails deep into his flesh. "Forget the mirror… broken glass is…very…very…good…" Her moist lips trailed over the wound she'd made, some of his blood clinging to them, and then lavished his mouth with a fierce, flirtatious, kiss.

Marcus savored the kiss, tasting his own blood never becoming more erotic than it was now. He felt his lower back tense even as another part of his anatomy stood at attention. He wanted Ursula. He had to have her. Had to run his fingers over the soft curls between her shapely thighs, had to revisit how powerful he felt when she broke her breathing because of his hands. He had not been breaking his back as her flunky for the past two years to be denied his one desire.

He slid his hands down to her waist feeling the fabric of her corset under his palms. God how he loved to see her like this! His heart began to pound inside his chest as he lifted one of her legs up onto his hip, stepping closer to the wall as he did so. He succumbed to the shudder of pleasure as the familiar sensation he craved fell over him instantaneously. She'd enveloped him in full, her strong embrace centered around his shoulders, fingers tickling the back of his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder. Fuck responsibility, he thought as he drifted into a sensual haze. He had something far more pressing to attend to before he let her leave his side.

Ursula's body tingled with the long-awaited feeling of physical abandon as she clung against Marcus's taunt form, her arms holding her up while the rest of her control sank to the floor. With him, she could be free, unrestricted, completely unbound in her actions. She coveted that reality, willingly falling under his seductive spell, his whole being calling out to her. She threw back her head as he began to make her forget everything but him. Him and his unyielding passion. It was not long before the build-up of their satisfaction was curling her toes and slicking her body with sweet-scented sweat, and she openly welcomed the situation with unbarred gasps and moans loud enough to travel throughout the yacht.

Eric was nearly to the top of the stairs when yet another pleasure-induced verbal response from the woman echoed off the walls. Embarrassed, he took his gaze off of Ariel and stared straight ahead as he continued to carry her to the safety of the deck. If he was being honest with himself, each sexual cry elicited by that woman made him think more intently about the red-headed girl in his arms and that train of thought was dangerous. He did not have the time to fantasize about Ariel's smooth skin warm under his touch, or her blue eyes sparkling as he laid her down on the bed for the first time. He did not have time to wonder about what kinds of sounds his kisses on her stomach and lower would bring out from her pretty mouth. He did not have the time to ponder how to make his move, or about her response to the action. He just did not have the time. Not till she was safely back in the little powerboat and he was taking her back to Siren Island. After that, though, he planned to let his mind wander and wander and wander…

"Do you think she loves him?" Ariel asked softly into Eric's ear, her breath hot against his skin. She was doing everything she could to ignore the pornographic voice-over that had been assaulting them for the last five minutes, but her mind had started drifting back to when Marcus held a gun on her, forcing her to strip in front of him. At the time, she had conjured an image of Eric to deal with how filthy she felt. But now, she was actually in his arms and he could not even look her in the eye. What was he thinking? She knew he had to be hearing it all too, so she may as well see how he reacted to it.

Eric's body tensed as Ariel's breath sailed over his ear and neck, but he suppressed the drive to let his libido get the better of him. He glanced at her. "In her own twisted way, she might." He stared at her mournful expression and softened all the more. "Ariel?'

She held his gaze in silence a moment before answering him. "Yeah?"

"Don't take this wrong, but why do you care?" He studied her closely, and then directed his attention elsewhere as they reached the deck of the yacht. He hated to admit it but, as light as she was, Ariel's weight was getting heavier in his arms. He was terrified he was going to drop her any second now but he had to get them both to the powerboat pronto if he wanted to be able to see his next birthday, and hers.

Ariel sighed. She did not know why she cared, but she knew that she did care and that was enough. "I guess, I don't know, it saddens me. They have this powerful pull toward each other and neither one can commit." She stopped speaking as the moon's light blanketed her surroundings. The ocean was deserted. There was no other boat in sight on the calm water. She scanned the space quietly, preparing to say more when loud footsteps reached her ears.

Clad in a red, satin robe, Ursula stood at the entrance to the stairs with dead eyes and Marcus's gun trained on the fleeing couple just a few feet away. "Leaving without saying farewell to your hostess is rude."

Eric's grip on Ariel tightened as he slowly turned to face the woman. "You were busy." Shit. Now what?

Ursula laughed, using her other hand to tuck her mussed hair behind her ear. "First rule of keeping ahead. If you want to stay that way, you reward your underlings for a job done well. And Marcus is a very good employee." She stepped aside and the man in question came out onto the deck, a carving knife in his hand and a matching robe covering his nude form. "Mommy's sorry to interrupt your fun, Jetsam Darling, but as you can see we have some loose ends to tend to."

Fear crept into her rational thought as Ariel tried to formulate a plan. She saw right away that her presence in his arms made Eric unable to protect either of them. Her gaze traveled from Ursula and the glint of the gun, over Marcus who looked intent on murder, and then to the railing which was about five feet away. Slowly, she was getting her ideas together, now she just needed Eric to go along. Her decision made, she pretended to tremble from fright and curled up in Eric's arms bringing her head against his shoulder. Lowering her voice to nearly inaudible, she quickly issued a command to him. "The railing's close. Drop me. Protect yourself. I'm going over the side. We'll meet at the boat."

Eric tried not to give anything away as he listened to Ariel's plan. The last thing he wanted to do was let go of her, but she was right. With her in his arms, he could not protect either of them. But once he dropped her she was fair game for the woman and her crazed henchman. And so was he. He stared straight ahead. There was no time to debate. If either of them was going to survive, actions needed to be taken immediately.

Ursula watched the young girl shake in her boyfriend's arms for a moment and then became impatient. "Your pathetic need to cling to each other is tiresome." She stepped closer, the gun aimed at the girl. "I'm not without a heart though. You may say goodbye to each other before I kill you."

Ready to jump in, Marcus leaned against the doorframe with an almost dopey look of admiration etched on his face as he watched his sexy siren. Ursula Rancroft was something else. A woman of power was usually so weak under the surface, but not her. There were no weaknesses in Ursula. He had learned that the first time they had met. She was in line at the bank he had intended to rob, just casually standing there in a pair of khaki slacks, heeled sandals, and a smart navy blazer tailored for her figure over a crisp white blouse. Even when he'd grabbed her arm and dragged her backward, demanding for the rest of the inhabitants to get on the floor, she had remained the picture of grace and elegance. She had stood there and let him man-handle her without one word of fear, not a single shudder or scream. And then, once she was in the passenger seat of his car, her true nature took him for one hell of a ride. He could see her sitting beside him as the car sped down the road, the sack of cash in her lap. She'd counted the money and then turned to him, holding his gaze without a hint of hesitation. She wanted a deal. Her life and one third of the haul in exchange for a sexual favor while he was driving and a night with her once he got them to a respectable establishment. Aroused by her very presence, he had readily agreed to the terms and she had promptly set the sack on the floorboard, unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over and fulfilled her first portion of their deal.

Eric sucked in his breath, leaning his forehead against Ariel's and locking eyes with her. They were supposed to be saying goodbye to each other, but they'd perfected the ability to understand each other with voice-less expressions and gestures and were actually telling each other they were ready. He lightly kissed her lips, giving her a smile. "See you soon."

Ariel nodded, holding his gaze as if she was really telling him goodbye. "Count on it." She smiled, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. "It's time to let me go."

Everything happened so fast, Ursula was blind-sided by the boy's actions. She stood there in shock as he literally threw the girl into the air and then took a running lunge at Marcus. She turned to watch the two of them tumble down the stairs, the girl momentarily forgotten. "Not the move I was prepared for. I give you marks for bravery, young man."

Left to her own devices for the moment, Ariel reached up for the railing and lifted her body up to a standing position. The damn mermaid tail hindered the use of her legs so much that she could barely keep her balance, but she clutched at the railing and drew herself up. She glanced back before making it to the other side of the railing. Ursula was still standing with her back to her, and she could hear the sounds of the fight for survival coming up the stairs. Please, she prayed fervently, let Eric be okay. Ready to dismount, so to speak, she cleared her throat and called attention to herself using all the animosity she had ever felt for the woman before her. "Hey, Bitch!"

Eric heard Ariel's cry for attention and winced. Of all the possible things she could have said, why that? It was going to be a miracle if the woman didn't shoot her now! But he had his own problems at the moment. He dodged another strike from the man with the knife, ducking down at the last second. He was in trouble unless he could get to the stairs.

Ursula whirled around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How vulgar." She brandished the gun, walking toward the girl as she clung to the opposite side of the railing. "Did your mother not teach you how to talk to your elders between the time she was pleasuring your father, cooking your meals, and raising seven of the most ungrateful hussies on this island?"

Ariel paused mid-prep for her jump. "Don't you ever say a fucking thing about my sisters, you trussed-up, tyrannical, slut." Her blue eyes bored into Ursula's. "I don't understand why you hate my family so damn much, or why you feel like you have to ruin our lives, but so help me, if I ever hear you bad-mouth my mother again I will…"

Ursula chuckled, aiming the gun at the girl's head. "You'll what, Dear? If the rest of that sentence is 'kill you' then I suggest you shut up and attempt it. This bullet will crash into your cranium long before you could get one foot toward me."

Panting, and covered in blood, Eric scrambled up the rest of the stairs. Marcus lay unconscious in the galley, his own knife buried to the hilt in his side. He was still reeling from the outcome of the fight. He had never believed he was capable of such violence, regardless of the reason, but he had been wrong. Thinking about keeping himself alive had fueled his actions, almost putting his mind and body on auto-pilot for the whole of the fracas. And in the end he had managed to wrestle the bigger goon's knife out of his hand and turned it on him, plunging it into his side in a place he hoped would not kill him. He got to the top of the stairs in time to hear the woman threaten to shoot Ariel.

Ariel faced the woman down, her veins hot with fury. "If you really think I'm afraid of you, guess again." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eric inch out of the doorway and close the space between him and Ursula, whose back was turned away from him. She quickly jerked her eyes to the right indicating that she wanted him to tackle Ursula and then go over the side with her.

Eric got the hint and took off at a mad sprint, driving his shoulder into the woman's back and knocking them both to the ground. The gun skittered across the floor and landed at the edge of the railing. He wasted no time getting to his feet and heading in the same direction.

"Get the gun!" Ariel shouted at him since she was unable to reach it herself. "Run for the boat! I'll see you there!"

Eric grabbed her wrist. "No!" He brought his eyes to hers, surprised by his own actions. "…Ariel…"

Ariel shot him a half-smile. "I'll be okay. I'm one hell of a swimmer, remember? You just get yourself to safety on that boat and I'll see you shortly."

Knowing he could not hold her much longer, he nodded and released her wrist. "Be careful." She nodded, leaned back and let go of the railing. He watched her hit the water and waited for her to resurface before rushing for the boat at the stern of the yacht. The woman lay still on the deck exactly where she had been knocked to the ground moments before. Despite his fear for his life, he knelt down to check her pulse. She was alive, just out. Satisfied that he had not killed two people, he got to the powerboat and went to work on the moorings. He needed to get to Ariel as soon as possible before she became tired out and drowned.

Freezing ocean water rolled over her bare shoulders and arms as Ariel used them to push her way through the sea. Bound in the mermaid tail, her legs were unable to share the burden by kicking so she had to re-direct all her strength to her arms. The water's temperature was biting, amplified by her nearly naked upper body. She sucked in a ragged breath and started another stroke. Over the silence of the ocean, she could hear the powerboat slicing through the water as Eric turned it around and headed her way. She kept swimming, her lungs beginning to burn as the rest of her body went numb from the cold, determined to keep moving to combat the hypothermia that was beginning to settle in.

It was several minutes before Eric got the boat to the same spot where he saw Ariel fall into the water, but he searched the area thoroughly anyway. She was definitely ahead of him, he realized with a slight grin as he surged the powerboat forward. The girl was one hell of a swimmer like she'd said. After all, she had rescued him from the ocean during a hurricane and swam with him to the opposite shore. But she had not been confined to a mermaid tail costume that time. Her long, toned legs had been able to cut through the water easily. Tonight, though, all she had to go on was her arm strength. As strong as she was, as good a swimmer as was, she would get tired in time when all her energy had been depleted and her body would just shut down. He was determined to get her into the boat before that happened.

Out in the open ocean there was no sense of time, Ariel thought as she continued to swim with the remaining surge of energy she had. It could not have been more than five or six minutes since she had begun her journey because the water was too cold to let her be alive for long. It was amazing how different the weather could become in one week. Just seven days ago she had been able to swim in this very water for hours during a hurricane and again after being kidnapped and escaping, but tonight the water was arctic chilly and sucking all her body heat away from her as she swam through it.

"Ariel!" Eric shouted to the bobbing head a good twenty yards in front of him as he gave the boat another surge. He could see from here how tired she had become in such a short period of time and it was worrisome.

Ariel stopped swimming once the familiar shout reached her ears. Eric was behind her, gunning the powerboat for all it was worth. She treaded water, waiting for him to reach her. Just behind him, the yacht's shadow loomed in the darkness of night. She had not even been aware that the moon had disappeared. Her mind had been focused on swimming.

Eric sidled the boat up as close to Ariel as he could and let it go idle while he went to help her into the craft. She was already trying to pull herself up over the edge when he turned around so he grabbed her arms, hauling her the rest of the way over. She fell against him, knocking him backward into the boat with a hard thud, his arms circling her frozen waist and pulling her down on top of him. He looked up at her, taking in her wet hair and the drops of water that were falling off her face. "You're frozen."

She nodded, making no move to roll away from him. "But alive." Her blue eyes danced with relief and merriment as she smiled warmly at him. "I don't really want to go anywhere just now. I'm perfectly content to lie here, shivering and staring into your eyes."

He shook his head, a grin playing on lips. "I'm not letting you freeze to death on my watch. But you're more than free to stare into my eyes for as long as you feel the need." With that, he sat up, bringing her with him. "It's time to lose that tail."

She cocked her head to the side, eyeing him warily. Her body was shaking involuntarily now, and her words were interrupted by her chattering teeth as she spoke. "Uh huh… and how exactly do you plan on making that happen?"

Eric leaned over her, reaching behind her head. "There's a tool box under the tarp. I'm sure there's bound to be something sharp enough to cut the stitches." He took hold of the tarp and tugged it forward. The canvas enveloped both of them, creating a little bubble of darkness around them.

Ariel looked around after the tarp had settled over their heads. "You know, I'm kind of liking this. It's dark, secluded…" She smiled to herself. For a moment, her dropping body temperature was on the backburner. "I can't even see you right now."

"Is that good or bad?" He inquired, looking toward where he knew she was. He could not see her either. It was completely blacked out under the tarp. And, actually, it did have this odd vibe. He had to admit, he liked it too.

"I'm thinking good." She stated matter-of-factly, her teeth still clicking with each word. "However, something sharp in your hands in the darkness is not a comforting thought, so first we cut me out. Then we throw the tarp back over us and see where things go. Deal?"

Was it his imagination, or had she just propositioned him in a round-about way? And while she was freezing to death? He sat there in the darkness, truly confused. "..Deal…" He snagged an edge of the tarp and lifted it over his head. Cold air and the light from the stars rushed back into the space as he laid the tarp down behind him and shifted onto his knees. The tool box was sitting there in all its silver glory. "Unlocked." He lifted the lid and looked into the first tray.

Ariel surveyed the boat while he looked for something to use to cut her out of her shiny, sequined prison. This was the second time she'd been here tonight, and she really wanted it to be the last time. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging her own body to keep warm. All of a sudden, she was really freezing. She needed to warm up as soon as possible. "Is there a blanket or anything?"

"We can check the hidden compartment under the chairs." Eric replied, sitting back with a triumphant thump as the edges of his flip-flops knocked against the floor of the boat. "Your choices are a screwdriver, a nail, or some rusty scissors."

"Are you sure you can do this without scratching my back raw?" She glanced to the objects in his hands. "I'm not really convinced."

He put a hand over his heart in mock-dramatics. "Ouch. I think my manhood just died." He smiled. "Just lie down and relax. I'm good with my hands."

She started to say something, then went quiet. Had he just given her double-meaning? Good with his hands? That sounded pretty innuendo-ridden to her, whether he had meant it that way or not. But then, did she really care? Was it really so bad to think of him touching her like that?

"Earth to Ariel. You're still sitting." He waved a free hand in front of her face. "You with me?" She was not responding at all. "Ariel?"

"Huh?" She shook her head and blinked. "What just…"

"I think the cold is getting to you. On your stomach. Now." Eric said.

Ariel obeyed, laying down on the floor of the boat with her legs parallel to his. She crossed her arms, using her elbows to hold herself up. "Be careful not to rip my shorts open."

"Thanks for telling me." He leaned over her lower back, the nail tightly clutched in his hand. Her long red hair was trailing down her bare back, covering the top of the mermaid tail. He gently swept the tresses over to one side and came face-to-skin with her lower back. The little dip that followed her spine and disappeared into the mermaid tail held his attention for a few seconds as he realized that she was practically offering herself to him. No matter how you looked at it, he was about to undress her and she was letting him do it. He steadied his nerves and blocked all the distracting sexual thoughts from his mind. He had to be careful. Very slowly, he placed the tip of the nail down over the top of the sewn portion of the mermaid tail and pressed it against the first few threads. The threads snapped easily and he relaxed some. So far, so good. But this was going to take some time.

Arista set the last wig back on its Styrofoam head on top of the costume rack and stepped back. "I've got Ariel's wig, but her costume is gone." She turned toward her sister. "Crazed fan maybe?"

Andrina looked up in alarm, her blue sweatshirt hanging over her arm. "That's a four hundred dollar outfit."

Aquata's head snapped up from the attention she'd been giving the costume rack along with Arista. "Are you serious? That's really the first thing on your mind? The price?"

Andrina glowered back at her older sister. "We can't afford a replacement. So yes, it is. It's not like Ariel is missing still you know."

Before anyone could say anything else, Sebastian stepped into the room. "Dee bodee haz been identified. A man named Vincent Flotsam."

Aquata shrugged. "Don't know him."

Arista nodded in agreement. "Never heard the name before."

Andrina sighed. "I have." She looked down to the sweatshirt, not wanting to meet the inquisitive gaze of her sisters or Sebastian. "Remember Trevor Thompkins?"

Aquata stepped away from the costume rack. "Your boyfriend from ninth grade?"

Andrina nodded again, bringing her eyes to her sister's. "Yeah. His dad worked at that garage, remember?" The two other girls nodded before she could continue. "One of his co-workers had a serious violence problem. The man's name was Flotsam. Vincent Flotsam. He attacked their boss and got hauled off to jail on the mainland."

Sebastian tapped his fingers on the door frame. "Clearly, he haz been released deen."

"But when?" Arista walked over to the door. "I mean, why is this guy who is all around bad news lying outside in the alley on the same night we get broken into?"

Aquata bit her lip. "Yes… why, indeed?"

As she came to, the reality of Ursula's failure washed itself into her face again and again. She lifted her body up off the ground, spitting in disgust. There was no telling how long she had been unconscious, and that infuriated her. She rose to her feet very slowly and moved back across the deck, down the stairs, and below-decks. "Marcus?" A sound like that of an injured bear groaning on the floor came from the room where they had shared a meal just hours ago. She bit her lip, truly scared for the first time in her life, and walked into the little room.

Marcus lay on his side, blood pooling under him, with a knife stuck fast into his lower left side just above the waist. He opened his eyes a moment, staring straight ahead. "..Ursula.." His response was more wish than question.

Ursula went to her knees beside her fallen partner in crime. "On your feet. I'm taking you to the hospital." She studied his glassy expression and let out a silent curse. He was slipping away. "Marcus Jetsam, get up! I really do not want to drag you up those stairs."

He laughed lightly at that, bringing his cold hand to her tear-stained cheek. "I always wondering if you cared about anyone but yourself, your own ambitions…" He trained his mouth to smile. "It looks as if you are human after all, my Mistress of Murder."

Completely broken, she nodded into his hand. "I chose you because you understood me. That day at the bank, you became my Clyde. And that night, in your bed, I became your Bonnie."

Marcus tried to sit up; shifting his weight onto his elbow, as he looked up at the one woman who he had truly believed was incapable of crumbling. In the ten years they had known each other, he had never seen her cry. Never once seen her show weakness. And here she was weeping like a wife over her slain soldier husband. "Stop those ridiculous tears. My Vicious Vixen does not weep. She reacts with stark clarity and willfulness." He softened his tone, his eyes searching hers. "You have no equal in this world, Ursula Rancroft, nor in my eyes. I'm not going anywhere if you can get me to a hospital soon enough."

Ursula nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I will get you there. And then we will finish this." Her mind was a whirl as she helped him to his feet and half-carried him up the stairs, easing him into a chair just near to the main control center and the helm. Without a word, she threw the yacht into motion and began constructing her revenge on the Waters girl, that damn boy, and the rest of the clan. She saw pain, both physical and emotional, and lots of it. They were going to pay for everything.

"Done." Eric stated as the last of the stitches broke under the sharpness of the nail in his hand. "Can you still feel your body? I've watched you shiver for ten minutes now and then nothing." He moved back and dropped the nail back into the tool box along with the rusty scissors and the screwdriver, then shut the lid. "Ariel?"

Ariel lay on her stomach on the floor of the little powerboat, her head resting on her arms. Her long hair was covering her face, making it impossible to see if her eyes were open. She made no reply or movement.

"Ariel?" Eric's tone grew higher in alarm as he shook her shoulder. He shuddered as his hand came into contact with her ice cold skin. "Hey… come on…" He flipped her onto her back, pushing the hair away from her ashen colored face. Her lips were tinted blue, her cheeks white, and her eyes tightly closed. Panic seized him, running ramped throughout his body, as he pulled the frozen, unconscious girl into his arms. "Your father is going to kill me…"

He took hold of the waistband of the mermaid tail and yanked it downward. It took him a minute to get the damn thing all the way off her legs, but he finally got her free and kicked the hateful costume away from him. "…Stay with me, Ariel…" He kissed her hair lightly, running his knuckles gently across her icy cheek. He needed to warm her up, pronto! He looked around for anything he could use, frantic to get her conscious again. There was no blanket, but he still had the tarp. He remembered how warm it had been under the heavy canvas and quickly removed his shirt, dressing Ariel's upper body in the warm cloth. He laid her down on her back and then laid over her, pulling the tarp over them both.

Rule one about body heat was the necessity to keep the unconscious person warm. He had given her his shirt and was lying on top of her trying to transfer all of his body heat, but she was still so cold! Her wet clothes had to go. "Sorry…" He whispered into the darkness as he slid his hands under the shirt. He fumbled for the back of the purple costume bra, getting it undone as fast as he could and pushing the soaked fabric away from her breasts. He tried to ignore the fact that his hands were currently planted on Ariel's chest, the feel of her unbound breasts welcome under his rough palms. He had no time to think about this. No time to feel awkward. He needed to get her wet clothes off and get her warm; propriety be damned! Given the circumstances, she would understand. At least, he prayed she would.

Once he got the rest of the mermaid costume off her body, he moved his hands down her stomach, rubbing the warmth back into her skin. From her stomach he rubbed her arms, her hips, thighs, and shoulders. "Wake up…" He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. "You have to come to; your father is going to gut me like a dead fish as it is."

The time began to run into itself as he continued his vigil, determined to warm her up and get her to open those beautiful blue eyes even if he could not see them underneath the tarp. Finally, as his hands made another pass over her thighs, he felt her leg twitch.

Ariel had slowly been coming conscious for a few minutes now, spurred on by this strange sensation of being rubbed down all over her body. Upon waking, she realized it was anything but a dream. She could clearly feel Eric's touch snaking over her skin in a slow, erratic movement. Then it hit her, he had been rubbing her down to get her body temperature back up. Instantly, she relaxed and deiced to let him know he had succeeded. "…Eric…"

Her voice was a godsend in the pitch black surrounding them. "I'm right here. Been trying to keep you warm." He smiled in spite of the fact that they could not see each other. "…Sorry about all the touching…" He let his sentence drift to a whisper, embarrassed by his actions and worried about his hormones. Truth be told, the act of rubbing her down had begun to play havoc with his imagination and he had been fighting his own perverted fantasies about her almost nude in his arms. He might have considered it before at the lagoon, but right now he was completely certain of it. He wanted her in every way a person could be wanted. He wanted to touch her, hear her laugh, hug her when she cried, kiss her, trail his fingers over her bare skin. He wanted to see her smile, smell her scent on his sheets, accidentally mix his laundry with hers and find her intimates in the dryer alongside his boxers and t-shirts. But most of all, he wanted her to want him too.

As she got her bearings, she realized that they were back under the tarp and that Eric was lying on top of her. Had it been any other guy, she would be screaming. But not with him. No; she was perfectly content to feel his weight and warmth covering her. She smiled to herself, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't apologize. And don't stop."

_Don't apologize. And don't stop._- Ariel's words echoed in his mind over and over as he lay there silent and unsure of his next move. His body said keep going, his heart said she wanted him to continue, but his head was telling him to stop because she did not know what she had said. Fortunately, he was saved from making a decision as the little boat slammed against something, jarring them both.

"Is there anyone in it?" An oddly familiar, but gruff voice called out into the night over their heads.

"I can't tell. I see something shiny though." Another, much calmer, voice responded.

Underneath the tarp, Eric quickly took Ariel into his arms in the most innocent looking position he could manage considering the situation. He cleared his throat and called out. "We are under the tarp! I'm trying to keep my girlfriend warm!"

Instantly, the tarp was thrown off and Brooke stood there, flash-light in hand. "Eric!" She took one look at the girl in his arms and sucked in her breath. "You guys are lucky she's even awake."

Eric nodded. "I did everything I could."

Aaron stepped over to the edge of Brooke's boat. "Aye…you stripped her down… how very chivalrous of you." He smiled at his friend. "I got tired of letting you have all the fun. I left Grimsby twiddling his thumbs and went for Brooke."

Brooke nodded, her brunette hair flying into her face as a breeze passed over them. "He broke into my house, dragged me out of bed, and demanded we take the boat out."

Eric raised an eyebrow, momentarily confused. "I thought you lived with your husband. Didn't he freak out?"

Ariel sat huddled in his arms, silently watching the little drama unfold. She would let him get his answer first, then do some demanding of her own.

Brooke blinked. She glanced from Eric to Aaron. "I cannot believe you never told him!"

Aaron looked down, a sheepish expression playing over his features. "I..uh… told him you were married and expecting…… I just never told him I was the father and husband…"

Ariel blinked. "Holy shit."

Eric stared at Aaron in dumbfounded shock. "You're married? You're a father to be?"

Brooke sighed. "I'm in college at the mainland. Aaron was working for your father and really loved his job. We struck a deal. He could continue to work till I was four months in, then he had to come home until the baby is born."

Aaron stood there in silence, shuffling his feet and watching the water. "We can debate this all later. Ariel needs some looking after."

Eric suddenly felt horrible, he had completely forgotten about Ariel shivering in his arms. The shock that his best bud was married and about to be a daddy had hit him like a punch to the gut. "Shit., Ariel… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I'm awake and alert." Ariel smiled at him. "And I can use my legs now."

Eric watched the questioning expressions fall over Brooke and Aaron's faces and winced. He knew exactly what they were thinking. He addressed Aaron like nothing happened. "How long till you can get us back to your house?"

Brooke helped Ariel to her feet, holding her at arms length very carefully. She guided the girl, who was very cold to the touch, over the edge of the boat and into theirs. Aaron took hold of her from there, easing the girl into a chair by the wheel. Offhandedly, he answered his friend's question with a shrug as he went to retrieve a blanket from inside the cabin.

Eric moved from one boat to the other, retrieving Ariel's costume and his flip-flops in the process. He sat down in the chair beside her. "……Ari…"

A loud _pang_ and whizzing sound reverberated through the air interrupting everyone and as a group, they all turned their heads.

Ariel's eyes widened in disbelief as the silhouette of a yacht, manned by a petite woman, drifted forward through the haze of mist that had crept up. "Oh my God. Ursula!"

Eric recognized her just as another bullet whizzed past them all, lodging in the boat's stern. "Shit! She can hit us. We're in her range. Gun the motor! Get us out of here!"

Aaron did as told, surging the little boat forward with a jump. "Done and done!" He called over his shoulder as the wind he was creating began to tear at their clothes. "All of you down below! Now!"

Brooke pushed the door to the cabin open, propping it with her arm. "Ariel, come on!" She practically shoved the other girl down into the space, not waiting for a response.

Still up-top, Eric turned to Aaron. "I'm staying here."

Back on the yacht, Ursula stood at the wheel, one hand on the metal. "The blood loss has affected your aim, I believe." She stated to the newly energized Marcus. "Maybe I should take over the shooting and you can man the wheel."

Marcus shook his head as he hunched his shoulders and trained his eye to look at the target prepping for another shot. "You're lucky I'm still around for you to boss. For once, my Darling Deviless, let me do something without your comments."

"Oh, very well. I suppose it does not matter how many shots need to be fired so long as you hit them eventually." She chuckled lightly to herself. "I really thought you were going to die tonight."

He paused. She was showing weakness again. "I got exceptionally lucky. Any higher and that damn kid would have been a party to man-slaughter." He set up his next shot again, trying to concentrate.

……….INTERMISSON …..

A/N- Okay, everybody breathe. I know this is a way long chapter, but you're nearing the end. Congrats on having the gumption to read the whole thing this far. I tried to make the ending as good as I could. I hope you all like it.-Jas

………END OF INTERMISSON…..

Back on the smaller boat, Aaron was running the engine at full speed. He could see the shoreline not too far in the distance. "We might actually make it!"

Eric nodded from where he sat, clutching the edge of the boat for dear life. "Hey, are there any shoals around the island? Or a rock bed?"

Aaron thought for a second. "Hmm… yeah there are! Do you want me to head that way?"

Eric called back to him over the roar of the winds. "If we can run them aground, then we may be able to keep them in one place for the police!"

"Ah! Understood!" Aaron swung the boat around a little too quickly. "Sorry!"

Eric cursed from the floor, righting himself and getting back to his feet. "Warn me next time! I don't want to be thrown out into the ocean while a madwoman is chasing me down!"

Inside the little cabin, Brooke and Ariel sat on the tiny bunk. Max was at their feet, snoring peacefully despite all the chaos.

Ariel ruffled the dog's fur as she spoke. "What do you mean?" She sat back against the wall, the over-sized gray sweatshirt Brooke had loaned her swallowing her waist and part of her thighs as she did so. She felt much warmer now all wrapped in fleece and snug under a pretty green afghan.

Brooke smiled, sitting back as well. She played with the ends of her loose hair before responding. "It's all over your face, honey. You are head-over-heels, all-in, all-or-nothing, and completely smitten."

"So what if I am?" Ariel shrugged. "He's just a boy."

"Oh, no, dear. To you, he is much more than just a boy. Trust me on that one." Brooke glanced down to her wedding ring. "Eric is to you what Aaron is to me. Face it. Sometime in the not so distant future, you two are going to get married because the time will come when you both want to stop looking around for the wrong people when you know deep down that you've already got the right one beside you day-after-day."

Ariel studied the floor before saying anything. "I won't deny that I have thought about a future with Eric, but marriage? I'm only sixteen and this is not the olden times."

Just then, the boy in question flung open the cabin door. "Girls! Let's go!"

At the sound of his master's voice, Max jumped to his feet and raced up the stairs with an eager bark. Brooke and Ariel quickly followed suit.

Eric affectionately ruffled the dog's fur. "Max! Where'd you come from, Boy?"

Brooke motioned toward Aaron, who was busy guiding the boat. "He came with him."

Behind them all, the _Deceptive Nature_ was coming up fast. Ursula could see all their distinct shapes now. There was the boy, the Waters girl, and two others with a dog. This was becoming far more complicated. She had not planned to kill anyone else, but it looked like her plans were changing yet again. She sighed, tapping her fingernails on the wheel. "Marcus Dear?"

"Yes?" Marcus came up from below deck. "How can I help my favorite walking felony?"

She cracked a smile. "Check to see if that spear gun is still down there somewhere. It's time to reel in my fish."

With a nod, he descended the stairs, returning moments later with the sleek black instrument in his arms. "Found it." He walked over to her like a child giddy with excitement over a brand new toy. "Do I get to shoot it?"

"Yes. As long as you manage to hit the boat." She tipped the wheel a little to the right. "Try not to damage it though. I truly loathe ruining pricey tangibles just to have access to my prey."

Marcus smiled as he went over to the railing. "I feel the same way when I have to run people off the road in those beautiful sports cars." He set the spear gun on his arm, readied his shot, and took a deep, soothing breath as he released the trigger.

"Mother Fucker!" Aaron exclaimed as a reel-on-line spear slammed into the gunwale just as he and Brooke jumped into the water. He called back to the remainder of the group. "Guys, come on! This broad means business!"

That was rather obvious, Ariel thought as she straddled the boat's undamaged side. "Eric!"

Eric carried a terrified Max in his arms, the weight of both human and animal together being too much for the little boat to take. It began to pitch dangerously sideways on the already shallow water. "Ariel, jump."

With a nod, Ariel did just that, landing with a distorted splash into the less-icy water. She jerked around, looking back to see Ursula's progress. The yacht was closing-in on the boat like a train barreling down a track with one of those damsel-in-distress floozies tied to the cross-bars. They had little to no time left and almost no weapons.

Exasperated, Eric flung Max into the water and then jumped in after. He treaded water about five seconds, then began to swim, grabbing the dog's collar on the way.

Brooke crawled onto the cool sand, her arms tired and her breathing erratic. She could not recall the last time she had swum so fast, and her body was rebelling at the action. She dropped down on her side, coughing up sea water and cursing the bitch who was responsible for the damage to her boat.

Beside her on the sand, Aaron lay on his back breathing heavy. He felt like a marathon runner, his heart was racing so fast. "..Are.." He gulped down air. "you…okay?" He looked over to his pregnant wife, his worry for her safety etched clearly on his wet face. He searched her eyes.

"I'm fine. Baby feels normal." Brooke patted her stomach to reassure both him and herself, then slowly got to her feet and offered him her hand. "Sun-time is over. We have a witch to burn."

Ariel staggered up the shore, her arms tired, head pounding, and legs about numb. Her body was just give out after all that swimming earlier and she had literally pushed the line with those last few strokes to get away from the boat. She collapsed onto the sand with a ragged cough and looked up in alarm. The beach was bare. "This isn't Siren Island…"

"What?" Eric interjected as he and Max waded out of the surf. He let the dog go and watched as it shook its coat dry, spraying the rest of them. "Then where are we?"

Brooke sighed lifting her tired gaze onto her husband. "He took a wrong turn. We're on the unnamed one instead."

Aaron gulped, stepping backward in the sand. "I…I…I was a little distracted by the Sheila from Hell there."

Eric started to raise his hand to strike his older friend, then stopped. He saw something flash out of the corner of his eye and turned back toward the ocean. "Fuck!"

Back on the now-steady boat, Ursula, dressed in the previous day's clothes, was unhooking herself from a hand-harness and waiting for Marcus to finish his run down the line to join her. She checked her manicure idly waiting, not remotely worried about the time. She had them cornered and she was going to take advantage of it. "Do hurry up, Jetsam Darling. Mommy is anxious to spill some blood."

Marcus laughed as his feet hit the floorboard of the other boat. "Yes ma'am." He unhooked himself and then jumped over the side. "I want the boy."

She smiled, slipping into the water beside him. "I have no problem agreeing to that."

On the shore, Ariel stood frozen as the two made their way through the water. How could this be? All the running, all the fighting, only to be done in now? Her blue eyes flashed black with fury as she narrowed her gaze. This woman would not win!

"Oh my god…" Brooke offered in shock, watching Ariel plummet into the ocean and start swimming like a bat out of Hell. "She just…..she just…"

Eric stared after Ariel in horror. What the hell was she thinking? He glanced back to Aaron and Brooke. Of course, she was trying to protect his friends. But this was by far the dumbest way to do it! Furious, he ran into the water after her.

A hundred feet from shore, Ariel treaded water just shy of the boarding platform off the back of the yacht. She hefted herself over the edge, dropping down to the floor with a magnified thud, and then climbed the ladder to get on deck. She raced through the vessel, running toward the galley. Once there, she turned on the gas stove and grabbed a book of matches from the counter drawer.

While Marcus scuffled in the water with the boy, Ursula swam back to her yacht, grabbing the ladder with a surge of strength. "I do not believe this. One little girl. One ultra easy assignment, and still she lives." She growled under her breath, walking through the vessel. "Here, fishey, fishey…"

Ariel leaned against the railing, her eyes on the stairs that led down to the boarding platform. The book of matches felt like dead weight in her hand. She knew the boat would blow up, and she knew she could jump over the railing and submerge herself before it did. But could Ursula survive? As much as she hated the woman, her nature to be caring was winning out and she was genuinely worried about striking that match.

She looked back up in time to see Ursula's white-blond hair come into view. Another minute and there she was. "I thought you would be here sooner."

Ursula stood proud, her eyes on the young girl in the over-sized sweatshirt, which was dragging down her bearings it was so soaked with water. "I did not expect you to return to the yacht. An obvious oversight."

"So it would seem." Ariel said. The book of matches in her hand was starting to feel lighter by the minute.

"I knew your parents before you were born. Did you know that?" Ursula took a step forward. "Your father out-bid me for a nice piece of property on the strip. I got a little angry." She took another step. "It was really easy to break the king, though."

Ariel stiffened. Was this woman saying what she thought she was saying? Had Ursula been responsible for her mother's death somehow?

Ursula smiled, taking several steps closer to the girl. "A king is nothing without his queen. But the queen, she can survive without her king if she must."

"Did you have something to do with my mother's death?" Ariel couldn't hold out any longer. She struck a match. "Did you!"

Ursual laughed, a dark, psychotic chortle, and ran her hand over her hair. Her eyes flashed bright with mirth. "You know that answer without me confirming it."

Ariel stared into the woman's rage-filled gaze, matching it heat for heat. That did it! Ursula was not human! "Then you can go to Hell, you heartless whore!" Ariel flung the lit match into the open doorway leading down into the pit of the yacht, took a running leap, and swan-dived over the railing as fast as her feet could carry her.

The explosion rocked the night, causing massive waves and pieces of fiberglass, timber, and metal to come hailing from the sky far beyond the scene of the accident itself. Yards away and safely on the shore, Eric, Aaron, Brooke and their now captive prisoner, Marcus Jetsam, watched the fire burn like a beacon on the water.

"Did your girlfriend really just blow up a yacht?" Aaron asked Eric, his gaze never leaving the man on the ground.

Eric just smiled.

Hours later, Ariel sat on the sand behind Eric's beach house as the sun slowly set overhead. Her freshly washed, red hair danced in the breeze and her brilliant blue eyes searched the horizon. Her father and sisters had left a half hour ago, and Aaron, Brooke and Grimsby had relocated to Brooke…er, Aaron and Brooke's residence. Eric was dozing peacefully on his bed inside the house, Max keeping guard with a watchful eye just outside the door. She could not be more relieved than she felt right now, and still she could not smile.

To think, after all that time, Ursula had been the mastermind behind her mother's demise. How could someone be so cruel, so twisted? According to the police, Ursula had been trying to sabotage her father for years, even keeping tabs on the whole family, just waiting for her chance.

"You look deep in thought.." Eric supplied as he sat down on the sand beside Ariel. "You doing okay?"

Ariel brought her gaze to his, the wind picking that time to play tug-o-war with her hair. She started to tuck it behind her ear, but Eric's hand on her cheek stopped her.

Eric cupped Ariel's cheek in his hand, staring into her eyes. "It was you the whole time, wasn't it?" He smiled, kissing her softly, his lips lingering on hers.

"Meaning what?" Ariel asked in a whisper.

Eric trailed his hand down her arm, to rest on over hers on the sand. "Meaning, you are my little mermaid and I'm your sailor."

Ariel nudged him with her shoulder, a smile breaking onto her lips. "I'm okay with that." She shifted onto his lap, her legs crossways over his. "Shall I sing for you, Sailor?"

Eric grinned, nodding his head as his arms came around her waist. "In time, yes. But right now I just want you in my arms."

Ariel chuckled. "I want that too." She fell against him, hugging him tightly as she buried her head into his shoulder. His scent was strong and she breathed it in deep, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped in it for eternity.

Feeling happier than he had been able to feel in years, Eric whispered into her ear. "We rescued each other, huh?" And then lost himself in the hug wanting nothing else but to have her just where she was-in his arms.

……..

A/N- Well, that's it. Thanks for sticking with my story for so long and I hope you continue to read my work in the future. I had a great time writing this one and really loved all your comments and critiques throughout its run. Though, a few more wouldn't have hurt. Just saying. Now, as to the subject of which story I'm going to do next; I've decided to attempt making Disney's Sleep Beauty go modern. I'm not sure exactly when chapter one will be up, but start looking for it around the end of the month. The title is still up in the air too, but you all know that the rest of it will say : Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Gone Modern, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find in a search. Or just go to my author page and it'll be there too. Please make sure to write a review for the chapter and one final one for the story itself if you have been a fan from the start. I want to know what you all think, what worked, what didn't work, your favorite character(s), favorite scenes. Dig down deep and really tell me how the story made you feel. I always take all my readers' opinions into consideration before beginning a new story, so be as brutal as you think you need to be. Until we meet again, if ever…-Jas


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